PINEVILLE — Members of the Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) were recognized for winning at state competition by the Bell County Board of Education members at Monday’s meeting in Pineville.

FCCLA sponsor and Family and Consumer Sciences teacher Rosemary Jones presented the group to the board and explained briefly what they were doing.

Students Sonya Brock and Alicia Roark gave a computer presentation in the category “Life Event Planning,” which they won at state with.

“They have to take something that they would do as seniors and plan a trip,” said Jones.

Roark and Brock both won last year at nationals in the scrapbooking contest, according to Jones.

Other FCCLA students presented their chapter’s scrapbook, which they won at state.

Jones said the scrapbook award was for the whole FCCLA chapter. “It’s something we can take around to different places and we can just see what these students are doing,” said Jones. She said they all got “perfect” in presentation at state.

Vice-boardchairman Dean Knuckles, filling in for Chairman Ken Sams who was absent from the meeting, presented the girls with a certificate.

“We appreciate you representing us so well in the state competition and we expect even bigger and better things in Chicago,” said Superintendent George Thompson.

Vaughn and Melton Engineer Clint Goodin gave the board an update on the Bell County Area Technology Center.

Goodin said they were preparing to issue a “formal punchlist” which would detail a list of items left to be complete in the building.

“We will resolve those issues before final inspection of the entire project,” said Goodin.

He said the good weather has allowed crews to make a lot of progress finishing up the building.

The board made a slight change to the 2010-11 staffing formula this month. They decided to reduce the student/teacher ratio from 1/24 to 1/26. The para-educator formula was changed from 1/90 to 1/100.

Thompson said that because the budget was ironed out yet, all changes were tentative.

“We’re doing the best we can,” said Thompson in reference to the staffing formula change. “We’re going to push forward and try to keep our people in the classroom.”

Thompson added that the board was being proactive, yet as conservative as possible, in regards to staffing allocations.

He said the state had recommended the board be conservative for now until the final budget comes out of the state legislature.

The board approved the following:

•District Technology Plan for 2010-11, which identified technology needs in the school system and showed how monies would be used to meet those needs.

•Advertisements for bids and set up bid committee for food service supplies, including food, supplies, bread, dairy, small equipment and pest control.

•Advertisements for bids and set up bid committee for maintenance, building materials, custodial supplies, pictures, yearbooks, concession items, school and office furniture, and instructional and office supplies.

•A motion to seek proposals for banking services.

•Accepted bids for old lockers.

•Grant applications.

•Preschool contracts with Bell-Whitley Community Action Agency.

Stephen Woodward is a Staff Writer for the Daily News. He may be contacted at swoodward@middlesborodailynews.com.