School Board Plans for New School

Work is progressing on the Jasper County School System’s new high school site as the landscape is in the process of being prepared for building construction.

As Parrish Construction contends with the landscape, Robertson, Loia, Roof Architects and Engineer firm interior designer Jessica Winstead has been planning the interior schematic.

During last week’s Board of Education work session, Ms. Winstead proposed a color palette of light neutral shades with each hall having a different strong accent color along with soft accents. However, the common areas, such as the lunchroom and library, will incorporate all four color schemes.

In preparing for the delivery of water and sewer services, school board members unanimously approved a memorandum of understanding with the City of Monticello for construction of those lines, which will be paid for by the school system but maintained by city personnel.
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The action came during the board’s business meeting Tuesday. City council approved the same agreement, which was composed by city attorney Roy Kelly who also functions as school board attorney, during their regular meeting last week.

With regard to November personnel issues, board members accepted the employment of Christine Kennedy as middle/high school counselor’s clerk and the resignations of Marielena Broome as high school Spanish teacher and Patricia Churney as an eighth grade teacher.

Also approved were two fund-raising requests for Books are Fun Sales at Jasper County Primary and Washington Park Schools and an overnight field trip to the RVI Leadership Conference.

Board members gave their final approval to five previous revisions of the Standards for Local Schools Committee policies regarding the function of the board. Tentative approval was given to two additional policies including an accounting policy that requires schools to be audited annually and a policy that requires board members to be trained for superintendent evaluations prior to the process.

Supt. Jay Brinson reviewed the traditional monthly reports on finances, school attendance, health and social work reports.

During a “good news” report, Supt. Brinson informed the board that WPS and JCPS had once again been named Title I schools. In its fourth consecutive year, WPS will receive $2,250 and JCPS will receive $10,000 for its seventh consecutive honor. He also said that the state had recognized the system for its education efforts with disabled students.

In other school-related news, the Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) will produce a Thanksgiving program Thursday, Nov. 17 at 6:30 p.m. at the primary school and some 20 pages of surplus goods had been inventoried.