Alternative school students to be required to wear uniforms

By Amanda McBride

The Choctaw Plaindealer

A recent change in the Choctaw County Alternative School rules will now require students in the Alternative School only, to wear uniforms.

The uniforms will be khaki pants, khaki shorts, khaki skirts, and a plain white shirt.

Students placed in the Alternative School will be required to wear the uniform the whole time they are assigned to the school.

Donna Shea, superintendent, said if a student placed in alternative school, does not wear the required uniform, then their guardian will be called to pick the child up. She said this will "result in a longer placement for that student, as he or she will not be counted present that day."

School board members asked why the alternative school students needed to wear a uniform.

"Requiring Alternative School Students to wear uniforms helps all Choctaw County Staff identify Alternative School students. A uniform dress code will hopefully be one more tool to deter students from being placed in the Alternative Program by encouraging them to display positive behavior while on their home school campus," said Shea after the meeting.

The school board also changed the drug testing policy to test only students who participate in extracurricular activity.

Shea explained, after the June 8 board meeting, that there is not much difference between the original drug testing policy and the revised one.

"There is really not much difference between the previous policy and the revised policy. The revised policy excludes those students who park on campus from being tested unless they are involved in an extracurricular activity," said Shea.

She added that in the original policy, parents could ask for their child to be tested, at the district's expense but now the parents will pay for the test.

"Due to budget constraints, the revised policy places the expense of tests done at the request oft he parent to be paid by the parent. All other tests will be paid for by the District," said Shea.

The board discussed allowing the Mississippi Wireless Communication Commission to put a tower on 16-section property. Kevin Null, board attorney, said the board could not approve the lease until Bill Chaney, with the Attorney General office, approved the lease.

Bubba Pope said the commission is interested in leasing a couple hundred acres and is offering to pay $400 per acre per year. No action was taken.

Mike Hughes, with Weaver Insurance, presented the board the district's property insurance for the next year. He said the policy is almost exact as last year. The district has a flat premium of $93,307 that insures almost $40 million in property for the district. Their auto insurance increased $1,000 but the district added more school buses to total 63 buses. The board approved their property and auto insurance.

The school board approved to lease the area of land immediately surrounding the monopole located on FCE's campus to the Choctaw County Board of Supervisors.

After a discussion, and removing the assignment part of the lease, the board approved the lease to the supervisors.

Principals of each school presented MAP (Measurement of Academic Progress) test results to the school board. Each principal outlined how students progressed and what subject areas need for attention.

Also, Ronda Huffman presented the Choctaw County Career and Technology Center CPAS results to the board. She said students tested above the state average in eight of the 10 areas tested. Huffman said Mr. King's class at WHS was ranked second in the state for his class subject.

"We are really proud of what we have accomplished, but we still have some areas of work," said Huffman.

The board also approved a request from Shirlianne Stirewalt for her children to continue to attend Choctaw County Schools where she is employed as Allied Health instructor.

In the consent agenda the board approved:

¥ Student Handbook for 2009-2010 school year.

¥ 2009-2010 Alternative Program Procedure/Plan.

¥ Fast Track supplemental handbook.

¥ Alternative School program for discipline handbook.

¥ School wide Title I plans.

¥ Beginning of year orders and items that do not require a purchase order for the 2009-2010 school year.

¥ Procurement plan for school nutrition 2009-2010.

¥ Revising policy JCDAB-Drug and alcohol testing policy.

¥ Purchases for the 11 new classrooms under state contract from funds already in place.

¥ Purchase of network wiring for the district to be paid out of 16 section interest funds.

¥ Request from Donna Shea concerning putting smaller copiers at each school and Central Office and the signing of contracts with Xerox for these copiers.

¥ Purchase of Lynx Transportation computer software from Rye Byte, Inc. for the transportation department.

¥ Renewing of antivirus subscription from Panda Security for the district.

¥ Purchase of Smart Boards for the new building under EPL#3502-642.

¥ Purchase of computers for Alternative School and Fast Track program under EPL#3502-2189.

¥ Change in substitute rates due to increase in minimum wage effective July 24.

¥ Request for student transfers per majority to minority ratio.

¥ Attendance of administrators, principals and teachers to attend 12 different workshops and conferences in June and July.

¥ Parent request for a student to expedite graduation.

¥ Accepting the donation of two computers from TAC to use with the TAC system and approval to add to inventory.

¥ Purchase of airline, hotel, transportation and per diem for employees attending the Spark Institute training paid out of Pep grant funds.

¥ Purchase of climbing walls for each school from Everlast Climbing Industries, Inc. as a one source item to be paid out of Pep grant funds.

¥ Request from Jean Clark to transfer funds from 16-section interest funds to district maintenance to cover accounts in anticipation of funds from Mississippi Department of Education.

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

¥ Request from Anthony McGee, WHS principal, to add $500 supplement to Dalvia Mitchell's contract for basketball statistics.

¥ Request from Johnnie Henderson, FCE principal, to hire Amy Burchfield as an assistant at FCE for the 2009-2010 school year.

¥ Request or transfer for Tami McKnight from AES to FCE for the 2009-2010 school year.

¥ Transfer of Janice Pratt from AHS to AES for the 2009-2010 school year.

¥ Request from Donna Shea, superintendent, to hire Stan Lester as technology coordinator for Choctaw County Schools as of June 23.

¥ Resignation of Lajoyce Ashford as assistant teacher at FCE for the 2009-2010 school year.

¥ Request from Anthony McGee, WHS principal, to evenly divide supplement that Janet Alashti gets for yearbook between Alashti ($325) and Kelsey Lawrence ($325).

¥ Request from Glen Blaine, AES principal, to hire Tracie Stephenson as assistant teacher for the 200-2010 school year. She was left off the original list in May.

¥ Request from Glen Blaine, AES principal, to hire Holli Stewart as a teacher at AES for the 2009-2010 school year.

In the financial agenda the board approved:

¥ Docket of claims.

¥ Teacher substitute report.

¥ Financial statements.

¥ Requests for fixed asset disposal.

¥ Approve bank bid from Regions for 1.71 percent for CDs for the 2009-2010 school year. M&F Bank bid 0.75 percent for CDS.

¥ Set budget hearing for July 16 at 9 a.m. and approval of the budget July 23 a 7 p.m.

The next regular scheduled board meeting will be July 13 at 7 p.m. at Central Office. Also, there will be a budget hearing, open to the public, July 16 at 9 a.m. and approval of the budget July 23 a 7 p.m., both at Central Office.

District 5 Board Member Mike Thomas was absent from the meeting.