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July 25, 2005
The
Catawba County Board of Education met in a special called session on
July 25, 2005 at 5:30 p.m. at the County Schools’ Administration Annex
Building with Chairman Charlie Wyant presiding. The following members
were present: Mr. Hilton, Mrs. Blackburn, Mrs. Spencer, Mr. Scott, Mrs.
Butler and Mr. Sigmon. Also in attendance were Superintendent Timothy
Markley, Assistant Superintendents Nancy Yount and Pat Hensley, Attorney
Crystal Davis, Finance Director Sondra Wolfe, Career-Technical Education
Director Karen Cale, Public Information Officer/Grants Writer Beverly
Lampe, Child Nutrition Director Karen Duncan, Systems Engineer James
Elliott, Maintenance Director Mark Bumgarner, Construction Coordinator
Ernest Williams, Assistant Construction Coordinator Rick Sain,
Robert Smith from CBSA Architects,
Jason Richardson from Commercial First, Clyde Campbell Elementary School
Principal Walter Zahler, Mt. View Elementary School Principal Kim
Penley, Arndt Middle School Principal Jeff Taylor, Fred T. Foard High
School Principal Sally Bradshaw and St. Stephens High School Assistant
Principal Rob Rucker.
John Mayhew represented the Observer News Enterprise and Andrew
Mackie represented the Hickory Daily Record.The meeting opened
with a Moment of Silence followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by Mr.
Sigmon. A motion was made by Mr. Hilton and seconded by Mrs. Blackburn
to approve the presented Consent Agenda including the Closed Session
portion. All members were in favor of the motion.
Public Hearing:
Attorney Crystal Davis conducted the Public Hearing phase of the meeting
for comments concerning any agenda items. No person present wished to
address the Board on any agenda item.
Superintendent’s Report:
Superintendent Markley began his report by announcing that the Catawba
Valley Early College High School will officially begin on August 1 with
teachers returning that day will classes beginning on August 8 for
students (expecting 101 students). Office hours for the high school
will be from 9:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Student hours will be 11:00 a.m.
until 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday on the campus of CVCC. A
mandatory orientation meeting for students and parents will be on August
4 at 7:00 p.m. in the Multipurpose Complex at CVCC.
Other items of update included:
•Commander David Marks with the
Naval ROTC at St. Stephens High School has announced that Bethany Derby,
a rising Senior entering her fourth year of service in JROTC, was
selected to attend the United States Naval Academy Summer Seminar in
Annapolis, Maryland. Upon completion of the intensive week of training,
Bethany will immediately enter another challenging week at the American
Legion’s Girls’ State Program located at Catawba College in Salisbury.
Bethany, an honors student at St. Stephens High School, has been
selected to serve as the Cadet Commanding Officer for her NJROTC unit
this coming fall. She aspires to attend the US Naval Academy in the
fall of 2006.
•Cadets Blythe Stephens and Sonia
Santoyo, two Navy JROTC students at St. Stephens High School, recently
completed the Navy Junior ROTC Leadership Academy at Coastal Carolina
University in Conway, South Carolina. They received instruction in
drill, leadership, orienteering, time management and physical fitness
training. After completion of the Leadership Academy, the cadets are
expected to return to their units and assume a leadership role. Cadet
Stephens will be the unit’s Administrative Officer and Cadet Santoyo
will be the unit’s Supply Officer.
•The Summer Fiesta of Learning
began today for a full week of creative events designed for rising fifth
and sixth grade AIG students. Led by event directors Jo-Nell Ward and
Gina Humphries, five teachers will guide the students through an
exploration of the Hispanic culture via art, creative movement, drama,
language and food. The Summer Fiesta of Learning will be held at the
Newton-Conover Civic and Performance Place for one week (July 25-July
29) from 8:00 a.m. until noon.
•Seven “tech savvy” students from
Fred T. Foard High School recently competed at the Technology Student
Association’s National Conference in Chicago. The students were Kristen
Bates, Travis Huffman, Brianne Meyer, Matt Sakatos, Andy Tomblin, David
Weiss and Freddie Whitener. These students competed in manufacturing
prototypes, robotics, structural engineering, construction systems,
technology challenges, a tech bowl and technical sketching. Three Fred
T. Foard High School teams placed as top ten finalists with Andy Tomblin
and Freddie Whitener taking a national first place, out of sixty-four
teams. Congratulations to Fred T. Foard High School’s Career-Technology
Education teacher, Henry Moore and his students.
•During the recent North Carolina
School Food Service Association’s Annual Conference in Greensboro,
Catawba County Schools were honored with several awards which included:
First Place in the Miscellaneous Desserts category, Alice Bridger from
Claremont Elementary School; Second Place in the Yeast Breads category,
Jo Neal Houser from Sherrill’s Ford Elementary School; Honorable Mention
in the Muffin category, Sandy Stillwell from Clyde Campbell Elementary
School; and, First Place in the Creative Arts Division for Spring/Summer
Decorations, Teresa Church from Oxford Elementary School.
Congratulations were extended the Child Nutrition Director Karen Duncan
and all Food Service employees.
•Twenty-two Catawba County
Schools’ high school students, representing all five high schools, will
be recognized at a banquet on July 28 for completing a Health Careers
Summer Internship. As a joint project through Catawba Valley Medical
Center and Catawba County Schools, the program is designed to prepare
high school students for careers in the health profession. Students
completed seventy contact hours of presentations, tours, observations
and clinical internship experience. The program was organized by Marian
Ford, Career-Technical Education Coordinator and Ginger Biggerstaff,
Director of Organization Learning for Catawba Valley Medical Center.
•Catawba County Schools’ 2005-2006
Back-to-School Kickoff will be held on Monday, August 22. The schedules
will be as follows (*designates host school):
7:45 a.m.-8:30 a.m. – Bunker Hill
Feeder area
Bunker Hill High School, *River
Bend Middle School (gymnasium), Claremont Elementary School, Lyle Creek
Elementary School, Oxford Elementary School;
9:00 a.m.-9:45 a.m. – Bandys
Feeder area
Bandys High School, Balls Creek
Elementary School, *Mill Creek Middle School (gymnasium), Catawba
Intermediate School, Sherrills Ford Elementary School;
10:30 a.m.-11:15 a.m. – Maiden
Feeder area
*Maiden High School (multipurpose
room), Tuttle Middle School, Maiden Elementary School;
12:30 p.m.-1:15 p.m. – Foard
Feeder area
Fred T. Foard High School, *Jacobs
Fork Middle School (gymnasium), Blackburn Elementary School, Mt. View
Elementary School, Startown Elementary School, Banoak Elementary School;
2:00 p.m.-2:45 p.m. – St. Stephens
area
St. Stephens High School, Arndt
Middle School, Clyde Campbell Elementary School, Murray Elementary
School, *St. Stephens Elementary School (gymnasium), Sweetwater
Elementary School.
To conclude his report,
Superintendent Markley announced that seventeen out of the system’s
twenty-five schools achieved the AYP standards for 2005. Fourteen out
of twenty elementary and middle schools, representing third through
eighth grades, achieved AYP. Three of the five high schools met AYP.
As a system, Catawba County Schools accomplished sixty-three out of
sixty-nine system-wide targets. Congratulations!
The following Consent Agenda item
was transacted:
Personnel Requests:
*approved certified employees Dana Arrowood-Goode, Natalie Beddingfield,
Berta Jo Bolick, Daniel Cadle, Amy Cagle, Alison Carroll, Jackie Colvin,
Erin Crotts, Charlotte Enochs, Cassie Ferguson, Jaclyn Fostvedt,
Jonathan Fuller, Jason Gulledge, Carlton Hirschi, Jr., Tracy Holshouser,
Amanda Huffman, Stephanie Kelley, Cynthia Lohr, Erin Manasco, Rebecca
Marshall, Erica Miller, Lynne Mininger, Ashley Morettie, Katie Norris,
Jennifer Pearce, Carla Peschel, Sheila Pinkney, Jonathan Rogers, Lillie
Seals, Jonathan Smith, Meredith Smith, Denise Taylor, Sarah Vaught,
Stephanie Walters, Erin Westenfield and Stephen Westmoreland;
*granted administrative contract to certified employee Sandy Post;
*approved classified employees Deborah Barham, Renee Brown, Carolyn
Brummett, Kimberly Carswell, Lisa Cunningham, Faye Dellinger, Jennifer
Emmett, Jeffrey Fisher, Peggy Fulbright, Joyce Gortney, Kelly Hicks,
Brandon Ikard, Sandra Lutz, Leta Michael, LaMyra Pearson, Brenda Weaver
and Rebecca Whittington;
*accepted resignations of certified employees Susan Copeland, Deidria
Elliott, Marie Eskridge, Patricia Hepler, Tamala Howell, Shelli Hummrich,
Dianne Little, Christy Quinn, Jonathan Ray, Abby Richardson, Donna Sears
and Manon Wingate;
*accepted resignations of classified employees Dessie Allman, Holly
Butts, Rhonda Cleary, Chris Forner, Ronda Robinson, Shea Waldron and
Jason Woodring;
*granted the transfer request of certified employee April Coffey;
*granted the leave of absence requests of classified employees Shelly
Lafone and Sandra Wise;
*granted the reassignment of certified employee James Kimball;
*granted the retirement request of certified employee Judy Williams; and
*granted the retirement requests of classified employees Louella Craig,
Frankie Spencer and Iris Spencer.
There being no questions or discussion, a motion was made by Mr. Scott
to approve the presented personnel requests including the addendum given
to members prior to the meeting. Mrs. Spencer seconded the motion with
no opposition.
The following item of Old Business was transacted:
OB#1:
Construction
Coordinator Ernest Williams began the presentation of bidding
information for track renovations at St. Stephens High School and Fred
T. Foard High School. Based on requests received from both high
schools, athletic boosters and concerned citizens, bids were received
for track and field improvements as requested by the Board.
Construction Coordinator Williams gave background information including
upgrades and presentations by St. Stephens High School Booster Club and
citizens. He presented drawings of the current facilities leading into
the presentation of the bid tabulations. During his presentation, the
floor was opened for any questions and/or discussion from members.
Members discussed funding issues and asked Construction Coordinator to
procedure with the presentation of New Business #1 – Consideration of
Selection of an Architect for the new Catawba Elementary School.
The following item of New Business was then transacted:
NB#1:
In anticipation of receiving funding in January 2006 for the new Catawba
Elementary School, it is necessary that the Board select an architect in
order to complete the construction by June 2007. Construction
Coordinator Williams presented a proposed design and construction
schedule for the new Catawba Elementary School. Members discussed the
growth in the Sherrills Ford area and the need for the new elementary
school. In order to stay on the proposed schedule, administration
recommended to members of the possibility of duplicating the St.
Stephens Elementary and Lyle Creek Elementary Schools’ plans for
estimations and to contact an agent to begin such process. Mr. Hilton
asked a question regarding the status of the Bunker Hill High School
project. Mr. Hilton, Mrs. Spencer and Mr. Sigmon stressed the
importance of addressing the needs at Bunker Hill High School and for
the need of the new Catawba Elementary School. Superintendent Markley
informed members of his conversation with County Manager Tom Lundy in
regards to funding from the 2005-2006 Capital Outlay Future Construction
funding to secure architectural services at this time. In order to use
the funding, a letter of request is required for consideration by the
County Commissioners at their next meeting. After discussion, members
directed Superintendent Markley to proceed with the letter of request
from the County Commissioners. Mrs. Butler then made the motion to
contract with CBSA Architects for the plans of the new Catawba
Elementary School. Mrs. Blackburn seconded the motion with no
opposition.
Members then convened discussion on Old Business #1 – Approval of Bids
for Track Renovations at St. Stephens High School and Fred T. Foard High
School. Superintendent Markley informed members that if these two
projects were delayed, then current bids would be lost. Mrs. Blackburn
made the motion to delay the two track renovation projects until a later
date. Mrs. Butler seconded the motion. All members were in favor of
the motion.
Public Comments:
Attorney Davis conducted the Public Comments section of the agenda at
which time no person present desired to address the Board.
Upon
a motion by Mr. Scott and seconded by Mrs. Butler, the Board unanimously
went into Closed Session the pursuant to G.S.143-318.11 for the
following purposes: under subsection (a)(1) to prevent the disclosure
of privileged and confidential personnel information pursuant to G.S.
115C-319-321; and, under subsection (a)(5) to discuss the acquisition of
real property.
CLOSED SESSION (Separate minutes for Closed Session are prepared and
kept confidential.)
The Board returned to Open Session with a motion by Mr. Scott, seconded
by Mrs. Blackburn with no opposition.
A motion was made by Mr. Scott to declare the .24 acres of land at
Startown Elementary School as surplus property and to pursue
negotiations with persons involved with the two other pieces of property
as presented by administration. Mr. Sigmon seconded the motion with no
opposition.
Mrs. Blackburn made a motion to approve the following personnel as
presented by Superintendent Markley:
Dr. Doyle Brinson, Assistant Superintendent for Auxiliary Services
Mrs. Judith Ray, Chief Technology Officer
Mr. John Westberg, Principal of Bandys High School
Mr. Scott seconded the motion. All members were in favor of the
motion.
Mrs. Spencer then made a motion to approve $2,500 for moving expenses
for Dr. Doyle Brinson. Mrs. Blackburn seconded the motion with no
opposition. Mrs. Butler left the meeting and was absent from the votes
taken on the previous three motions, due to another meeting obligation.
There being no other items of business to be conducted, Mr. Scott made
the motion to adjourn. Mrs. Blackburn seconded the motion. All members
were in favor. The meeting adjourned at 7:40 p.m.
__________________________
Charlie
Wyant, Chairman
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Timothy S. Markley, Secretary
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