District 5 BOE Member Resigns
The Jasper County School Board met for a work session Tuesday evening, and learned that District 5 Board Member Lewis Rice has resigned his position for health reasons. Supt. Kenny Garland explained that he met with the superintendent of elections, and talked with the board’s attorney, and said the board can appoint someone to fill the vacancy through 2024.
That position would be on the ballot, along with Districts 2 and 4 in 2024. So whoever is appointed would serve almost two years, and have to be elected to continue. There is an advertisement elsewhere in today’s paper outlining obligations and asking for letters of interest.
The board re-elected Bill Schilling chairman of the board and Erin Lynch as vice-chairman. New member Larry “Bubba” Wilson attended his first meeting as a member of the board.
The board approved the 2023-24 school calendar. Students will start school on August 10, 2023, and finish the year, with 176 instructional days, on May 24.
Board members have been discussing Rose Bowl Field for several months. The superintendent got a survey and an appraisal and Monticello Baptist Church has offered to pay $100,000 for the property. He presented it this week, and the board will vote on it at the regular business meeting on January 24.
Board members reviewed the budget timeline as well as a set of “Board of Education Norms” which they will look over between now and the business meeting and vote on at that time.
The board began the meeting, as usual, with the reading of the mission and vision statements. They then heard from Rebecca Mullinax on the Jasper County Pre-K Policy Council. Then they heard from Jehan El-Jourbagy, chairman of the School Governance Team at Washington Park Elementary School. Lastly they heard from Sheila Belcher, on the Jasper County Primary School Governance Team. Several members of both SGTs were present for the presentations.
Supt. Garland told board members of the success of the Foothills school that meets at the Jasper County High School campus in the evenings. He said that there is talk in the legislature of no longer funding Foothills, and board members agreed for him to send a resolution to the Legislature showing the county’s support for Foothills.
Board members approved several field trips and fund raisers, and approved the minutes of the December 13 meeting with a correction. At the end of the meeting they went into closed session to discuss personnel and they were to vote on a student disciplinary appeal decision.
