MIDDLESBORO — The Middlesboro Board of Education met on Monday evening and final adjustments were made to ensure that all was in place for the upcoming school year.

Middlesboro Independent Schools Superintendent Rita Cook spoke briefly about the importance of student/teacher guidelines and updated the board on policies and procedures.

“One of the things that I would like the board to start doing here is looking at our policy handbook, so we can start reviewing the policies that we have in place, reading through it and making revisions as we feel necessary,” Cook said.

As the 2009-2010 school year approaches, the board approved several contractual agreements for services.

The board approved contractual agreements with Speech Pathologists Debra Watson and Mary Allen for the approaching school year. These positions are part-time and will be filled at the Middlesboro Intermediate and High Schools. The board also entered into an agreement with Cumberland River Comprehensive Care Center for Counseling Services, hiring a full-time counselor for the Middlesboro Independent Alternative School.

An additional agreement was made by the board to award Premiere Integrity Solutions the contract services for random drug testing for 2009-2010 school year. Premiere Integrity Solutions provided their services the previous year to area schools, with positive results, and testing periods will remain unchanged.

In relation to finances, the Middlesboro Board of Education approved a payment of $35,696.64 to the Community Trust Bank of Pikeville, a payment of $24,160.85 to First State Financial of Middlesboro, and a payment of $188,831.50 to First State Bank of Pineville.

A special meeting will be called before the start of the new school year. The board intends to discuss implementing a breakfast program for the high school, with the hopes of receiving better participation from students in the classroom. The plan is for high schoolers to begin five minutes earlier and leave five minutes later, in order to make time for breakfast. Concerns are not with the program itself, but with how it will affect the county bus schedule. Action will be taken before the school year begins.

In official business, board members approved the following:

· The minutes of the June 15 meeting

· Financial reports and year-to-date budgets for Middlesboro Primary School, Middlesboro Intermediate School, Middlesboro Middle School and Middlesboro High School

· The Superintendent Personnel Report and faculty updates

· The year-to-date fund/budget as presented in the Treasurer’s Report, and payments of bills and salaries

· The 2009-2010 Cafeteria Report concerning repairs and maintenance

· Food services were approved and awarded to Somerset Food Service, Clem’s Refrigerated Foods, Sysco of Knoxville and KEDC Vendors for 2009-2010.

· Board Member Edith Kelley volunteered as Legislative Contact for KSBA.

· Air Source Technology was approved by the board to be the provider for Asbestos Management Services for the 2009-2010 school year.

Adam Young is a staff writer for the Middlesboro Daily News. Contact him via e-mail at ayoung@middlesborodailynews.com.