The Choctaw Plaindealer

The Choctaw County School Board discussed whether or not to allow any Choctaw County resident who is a senior during this school year the opportunity to finish school at their place of attendance for this year only.

The board agreed that they did not want to make any seniors change schools their last year but decided to follow the attendance rules.

Kevin Null, school board attorney, said the board needed an opinion from Jim Keith, a lawyer that is knowledgeable in attendance zones, stating it would be legal to allow seniors to stay at the school they attend.

"As an legal opinion, I won't accept liability on it," said Null.

Linda McDaniel, Beat 3 school board member, made the motion to allow them to stay where attending but it died without a second.

Wilson Gammill, Beat 2 school board member, said he wants something in writing.

"I want something in writing saying we're not liable," said Gammill.

Since the motion died, seniors will follow the residency and attendance zone rules.

During the meeting, the board approved a grant and contract that will help improve the CCSD students' physical health. Charlotte Cornish said the PEP grant is for $435,000 for three years. The grant will help CCSD provide students with the tools and techniques to improve their fitness for their lifetime.

The grant will allow the schools to buy state of the art equipment to help students become more fit and help them learn to access their own fitness and design their own fitness program.

The school board also discussed building more classrooms for the school district, property line issues and residency issues. (See related articles this page.).

In the consent agenda the board approved:

€ Purchase of equipment from the following vendors as one source items to be paid out of PEP Grant funds: Spark Programs-$183,083.10, Nautilus-$88,896 and Microfit-$42,961.

€ Bailey Educational Professional Development contract to be paid out of Title I funds.

€ Update of Board policy GRCGB-sick leave for non-certified personnel- to reflect change in minimum wage of $6.55 per hour.

€ New organizational chart for the district.

€ Affidavits for school attendance in the district from seven people concerning nine children. A hardship must be proved to students to enroll in schools pending formal guardianship.

€ Request from LaJoyce Ashford for a 60-day family medical leave due to back problems.

€ Attendance for teachers and administrators to attend various training for August.

€ Timber bids in 16-18-11.

€ Aerial site spraying bid in 16-19-11 and 16-15-10.

€ Request from Suzanne McKnight Edwards to allow her children, Kaley Edwards and Bradey Edwards to attend FCE after tuition of $1021 per child is paid. Attala County Schools released them on August 4.

€ Purchase of supplies from Scholastic as a one source item for Weir Schools for $5,556.82 to be paid out of Title I funds.

€ Purchase of network membership from Successful Practices Network for Weir Schools as a one source item for $7,200 paid out of Title I funds.

€ Request from Shellie Anderson to allow her child, Caroline Anderson, to attend AES, where she will be working.

€ Request from Glen Blaine to purchase a lawn mower at state contract of $5,384 from Black's Furniture in Ackerman.

€ Of 2008-2009 budget request.

€ Request from Charlotte Cornish and Jean Clark for approval to make payment of 25 percent to Venture Technologies for work and equipment providing during June and July of $31,856.75

The school board approved Choctaw County School District personnel changes in the consent agenda. They are:

€ Resignation of Connie D. Baxter as cafeteria employee and bus driver for the district.

€ Resignation of Wanda Wells as bus driver for the district.

€ Hire Robert Black as bus driver for the Choctaw County School district to replace Wanda Wells by request of Morgan Scribner.

€ Hire Krisiti Mewbourn at Ackerman Elementary cafeteria to replace Connie Baxter by a request from Glen Blaine.

€ Hire Shelly Anderson as a second grade assistant to replace Lisa Stephenson who declined the position

€ Resignation of Ruby Hughes as special education teacher fort the Choctaw County School District.

The school board approved the financial report and the fixed asset disposal list.

In the financial report, the board approved payment of $13,439,23 to BGE Financial Corp. for lease-purchase of band instruments. Ackerman Band Boosters will reimburse for one half of this amount.

The next regular scheduled board meeting will be September 8 at 7 p.m. at Central Office.