North Pike school trustees approved the district’s first hires of students as holiday and vacation maintenance workers last week.
Senior Jimequia Everett and juniors Zachary Guy, Deven Lee and Kyler Thomas will get their first work assignments during fall break, Superintendent Dennis Penton said.
“Have they unionized yet?” board President Kevin Matthew quipped.
“Not yet,” Penton replied with a grin.
The student worker program was raised in September as a way to give some students work experience while also saving money on tasks the district has been contracting out, such as painting classrooms and bollards.
Mike Brister, who has periodically performed maintenance tasks for the district, was hired last month to oversee the student workers.
In other business:
• The board approved the final amended budget for the previous fiscal year.
Even though the Mississippi Adequate Education Program was cut mid-year and no funds were transferred from the district’s 16th Section fund, “we still came out positive,” financial officer Tina Griffin said.
Griffin said the district’s principals and other supervisors kept a close watch on spending and conserved as much as possible.
Penton noted that the district had also budgeted for steep increases in fuel costs that did not occur.
Griffin said the district was fortunate to have ended the fiscal year with some extra money in reserve. “This year is tough,” she said.
The new fiscal year began July 1.
• Penton told board members that accountability ratings from the state Department of Education would be available by the November board meeting.
• Architect Gary Bailey is scheduled to meet with district staff about facilities needs on Oct. 20.
The meeting will help to develop a construction plan for which a bond issue campaign will be necessary,
• The district adopted several documents, including a plan for federal programs funding, a local wellness policy and the year’s instructional management plan.
• Board members approved loaning $458,842 to the Cleveland School District to help cover a shortfall in that district’s tax collections.
• A slate of student transfers was approved.
• A school bus turnaround was approved at 1008 Newton Lane.
• High school principal Scott Hallmark’s recommended substitutes Kelly Turner, Valarie McGehee and Marilyn Goines were approved.
• Ashley Carr was hired for a classified position at the middle school.
• Trustees heard a visitor during executive session and discussed a student matter and a legal matter.
• The district will host a meeting of school boards in the area at Southwest Mississippi Community College at 6 p.m. Oct. 25.
