School board discusses Pre-K enrollment

The Choctaw Plaindealer

The Choctaw County School Board discussed Pre-Kindergarten registration and how students are enrolled and screened for Pre-K in Choctaw County.

Linda McDaniel, Beat 3 board member, asked about Pre-K registration, because she said there are a few French Camp district students not attending FCE Pre-K because the class is full, then two Weir district students are enrolled in FCE Pre-K.

Kevin Null, board attorney, explained that because of the federal Desegregation Order, the two students could attend Pre-K at FCE instead of Weir.

The board discussed how many students could be in a classroom with and without an assistant. Without an assistant teacher, only 10 students can be in a class and with an assistant, 20 students can be enrolled in a class.

Donna Shea, superintendent, said that the district's Title 1 money as cut and that Johnnie Henderson, FCE principal, and Glen Beard, WES principal, decided to take the assistant from FCE to add to WES. She said WES usually has more Pre-K students enrolled.

Shea said it costs $19,000 to pay an assistant teacher with benefits.

She said that any students not enrolled in Pre-K, where it was full, were offered to attend another of the district's Pre-K classes, if spots were available.

The board also discussed how Pre-K students are screened and enrolled in all Pre-K classes. They talked about how it seems like during registration it is first come, first serve, but enrollment is based on academic need from results from screening tests.

After the board meeting, Shea explained the Pre-K registration, enrollment process.

"There is a certain window of time when registration takes place. Students are screened when they enroll. Students are ranked by academic need according to their screening results, and the district serves the students with the greatest academic need first. Students who register at the school after the registration window for Pre-K has closed are screened and enrolled in Pre-K until all spots are filled. We take 20 students if there is an assistant and only 10 students if there is no assistant," said Shea.

In the information portion of the meeting, it said that Ackerman Elementary is going to offer vs. serve like our other three schools in the district.

After the meeting, Judy Black, child nutrition administrator, explained that offer vs. serve is where students are offered all five food items but students are allowed to refuse two of the five menu items. She said this helps reduce costs and waste.

The school board and Shea also discussed factors contributing to fund balance and received a handout of the budget, in detail.

An executive session was held to discuss the embargoed annual yearly progress results.

In the consent agenda the board approved:

¥ SPED FY10 regular project and ARRA project.

¥ Change in adult breakfast price for the 2009-2010 school year.

¥ Evaluation forms for the district.

¥ Majority to minority transfer requests.

¥ Bus drivers' salaries.

¥ Fundraisers for the district.

¥ Purchase of MAP licensure from NWEA as a one source item to be paid out of At Risk funds.

¥ Purchase of Stars Suite subscriptions for students from Educational Options as a one source item to be paid out of At Risk funds.

¥ Bailey Education Group, LLC, proposal for services-Data Coach to be paid out of Title 1, AARA funds.

¥ Bailey Education Group, LLC, proposal for services-Leadership Coaching and Development to be paid out of Title 1I funds.

¥ HMS Consulting proposal for services to be paid out of Title 1 funds.

¥ Affidavit from Bobbie J. Murray regarding her granddaughter.

¥ Payment to King & Son Construction in the amount of $2,242 for tile repair at Ackerman High School cafeteria.

¥ Contractual agreement between Choctaw County Schools Department of Special Education and North Mississippi Educational Services, LLC.

¥ Budget certification and resolution to the Choctaw County Board of Supervisors.

¥ Attendance of administrators, principals and teachers to attend five different workshops and conferences in August, September and October.

The school board approved the following Choctaw County School District personnel changes in the consent agenda:

¥ Resignation of Ashley Williams as an assistant teacher at Weir Elementary School for the 2009-2010 school year.

¥ Recommendation from Glen Beard, WES principal, to hire Valerie Winters as an assistant teacher at WES to replace Ashley Williams for the 2009-2010 school year.

¥ Hiring of Janet Busby as a teacher at French Camp Elementary effective Aug. 3.

In the financial agenda the board approved:

¥ Docket of claims.

¥ Financial statements.

¥ Requests for fixed asset disposal.

The next regular scheduled board meeting will be Sept. 14 at 7 p.m. at Central Office.