Kindergarten students from Middlesboro Primary shared their memory books with board members on Monday, as pictured.
Superintendent Rita Cook explained to board members that just “establishing new positions... does not necessarily mean that the school district will immediately hire for those positions.”
The board ruled to establish a job-coach position at the high school. The eligible person will be responsible for establishing relationships with perspective employers in the community, and helping all high school students transition from school to the world of work. The position will be funded by a School Improvement Grant.
Board members promptly approved the decision to create the certified position.
A health teacher/weight training position for the high school was also established at Monday’s meeting.
“An area of concern for the district is being that we haven’t had a certified staff member to teach health to our students,” expressed Cook.
She then asked the board to create the wellness position, which will include both health classes and an advanced weight training program, and the board approved that request.
The level-two weight training class will be available to all students and it will be funded through the district’s general fund.
The next discussion was about creating a grant writer/community relations associate for the district.
Cook declared that a goal set forth by the board this year was to establish better communication with the community and staff members, and she firmly believes this position could help to better achieve that goal.
“This position will be a duel responsibility. This person would be responsible for district communications and developing networks within the district to encourage greater community involvement,” Cook maintained, adding that the position would also include grant-writing duties.
According to Cook, the qualified person would be asked to research possible funding sources and to develop proposals for programs/grants that would benefit the school district.
“This is one that I know we have struggled with. One of the reasons that we’ve looked at it is because so much of the funding now from the federal level is coming to us through grant programs. And to have someone that could write... could help us access some of those dollars that might not be available to us without a grant writer,” she explained.
“If we could on this position here, I would like to ask that we table it and discuss this further,” remarked Chairman Bill Johnson.
He added that the board, before officially establishing this position, needs to make certain that the district can afford to do so.
“Because there is more that comes with this than just naming somebody as a public relations person and as a grant writer. If you’re going to get a grant writer and you’re going to get grants — and a lot of those grants are matching grants — you have to be able to fund those grants from the general fund, or from local base,” asserted Johnson.
He added, “And with the news we received last week from the state about losing additional dollars for the 2010-2011 school year... it is something we need to take a hard look at and make sure this is an avenue we want to go down because the funds may not be there next year.”
The board ruled to table the decision until next month’s meeting.
The final position discussed was that of assistant middle school principal/assistant primary school principal.
Cook said, as of next year, the district is going to place more attention on the primary school — adding that the position will help support the schools efforts to advance and improve in reading and attendance. The positions will be half-time, Cook commented.
A motion was made by Eddie Ballinger to approve the position, and all agreed.
In other official school business, the MBOE addressed and/or discussed the following items:
• First reading of KSBA Policy Updates (non-action)
• Calendar update for 2010-2011 school year (177 instructional days)
• Approved minutes of the May 17, 2010 regular meeting.
• Approved financial reports as presented from Middlesboro High School, Middlesboro Middle School, Middlesboro Intermediate School, and Middlesboro Primary School.
• Approved the cafeteria report, financial report, and the payment of monthly bills and salaries.
• Approved tentative working-budget for 2010/2011 school year.
• Accepted membership to the Southeast/South Central Educational Cooperative in the amount of $3,060 for 2010/2011 school year.
• The board also entered into service agreements with the following organizations for the next school year: Bell County Health Department, Brooks Oil Company, Kenway Distributors, Southeastern Janitorial Supplies, Ellison Sanitary Supplies, Napier Coal, Hickman Building Supply, Jim Brown Supply, State Electric Supply, D.R. Alexander Garage, Precision Janitorial Service, Air Source Technology and Emery Exterminating Company, Inc.
Member Kelly Shoffner was absent from Monday’s meeting.
The next school board meeting will take place on July 19th at 6 p.m. in the Central Office Board Room.
Adam Young is a Staff Writer for the Middlesboro Daily News. He can be contacted by e-mail at ayoung@heartlandpublications.com.
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