Classified Personnel To Get Stipend for Working

The Jasper County School Board Tuesday, during its regular meeting, voted to give classified personnel a stipend for working during the shelter-at-home time of the COVID-19 pandemic.

School nutrition personnel will be paid $50 per day; bus driver $30 per day, and other classified staff $20 per day. These individuals are typically the lowest paid in the system, pointed out Supt. Kenny Garland. The stipend will be for March and April.

Board members heard from the Pre-kindergarten policy council who told about what’s going on at the preschool. They told of a new machine they were able to purchase with funds received for the pandemic. The machine will clean almost everything. They can put the nap mats in it, the toys, whatever needs to be cleaned.

Board members heard from Transportation Director Jerry Williams who said that 16 route buses are out of the 10-year cycle which is considered the life of a bus. He proposed leasing a number of buses, to try to get on top of the situation. Board members and Mr. Garland talked about perhaps leasing five buses, and continuing to replace one per year, so at the end of five years, the system would have 10 good buses, and perhaps could do it again.

Mr. Williams said he has 35 routes. Twelve older buses serve as subs when they are working on one of the others. Nineteen buses are in the 10 year range.

Mr. Garland gave an update, saying only three positions remain to be filled, and he has persons in mind for two of them. The board also took personnel action, approving the following:

New Hire:

Melissa Houston, teacher, Jasper County Primary School (JCPS)

Zachary Houston, teacher, Jasper County Middle School (JCMS).

Delores Thomaston, teacher (49%), Washington Park Elementary School (WPES).

Casey Elias, teacher, Jasper County High School (JCHS).

Joshua Stone, paraprofessional, JCMS.

Transfer:

Matthew Garvin, paraprofessional, transfer from paraprofessional at JCHS to parapro at JCMS.

Chantel Amburgy, transfer from parapro at JCMS to clerical at JCMS.

Retirement:

Cynthia Darity, parapro, JCMS.

Mr. Garland discussed the budget with board members, saying the state has said to be prepared for a 14 percent cut. One set of budget figures was based on a 10 percent cut from the state, and another set was the 14 percent cut. Board members are looking at a partial rollback, and taking a chunk from fund balance.

They again discussed how the Shire/Takeda money that the county gets affects the school budget. Since it is included in the digest, the state assumes the school gets a portion of the proceeds. Currently the school does not. But the state bases what it gives the system on the digest, so that money being there hurts the school. Mr. Garland and board members agreed that conversations with the county about that money must take place, because as the amount grows, it will continue to adversely affect the school’s finances.

Mr. Garland also said they are budgeting on a 93 percent collection rate rather than the typical 95 percent or more. Officials are figuring people may have a hard time paying their taxes with the rampant unemployment and COVID-19 employment reductions.

Mr. Garland also said that the system already knows it has 71 more students coming in next year than it had this year. Because of that several positions have been added. He said the Primary School earned a half gifted and half ESOL teacher; WPES earned two classroom teachers and a music teacher and the middle school and high school each are seeing growth.

After the budget discussion, board chair Bill Schilling pointed out that the system is healthy, and it’s good that it has the fund balance to pull from. Mr. Schilling commented on the school being the largest employer in the county.