EDUCATION
The final Board of Education meeting of 2022 ended with the hiring of a new athletic director for the district.
The unanimous vote to hire Chad Alligood as the Athletic Director for the Jones County School System filled the vacancy left by the previous director, Barry Veal. The official starting date for Alligood is Jan. 2.
His former position was head football coach at Northside High School. More information about Alligood can be found in the sports section of this edition.
Board Chairman Ginger Bailey called the Dec. 13 meeting to order. In her chairman’s report, Bailey talked about her favorite part of the job, being in and out of Jones County schools visiting students.
“You can see Christmas in their eyes; it’s a joy to share in that,” she said.
The chairman was the first to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, which was echoed by each member of the board.
“We appreciate the support from the community,” she added.
Superintendent Chip Lundy started his report talking about the Dec. 5 REACH Scholarship signing ceremony hosted by Jones County College and Career Academy CEO Lisa Collins. Lundy presented the 22-23 scholarships to middle school students Leah Reynolds from Clifton Ridge and Brionna Hill from Gray Station.
Lundy said the REACH program is possible due to donations from local business partners. The mentorship program provides recipients with academic, social and financial support to graduate and gain access to college. Upon successful completion of the program, the students earn $10,000 toward their postsecondary education.
The superintendent congratulated the 2022-23 Teachers of the Year; Lynette Maddox, Ashley Ivy, Dames Ferry Elementary School; Melissa Hadaway, Gray Elementary School; Valerie Hall, Wells Elementary School; Jennifer Thompson, Turner Woods Elementary School; Jennifer Burns, Clifton Ridge Middle School; Jackie Kennedy-Busch, Gray Station Middle School; and Christine Geske-Stewart, Jones County High School.
He noted for the board that Title One Chrome Books would be surplussed.
Finance report
In the absence of CFO Tonya Merritt, Lundy presented the financial report for the month ending Nov. 30, which marks 41.67 percent of the school year. He said total revenues are $19,358,069 and total expenditures $22,310,089. The ending cash in the bank is $9,013,361.
Education Special Local Option Sales Tax collections for November were $292,416, and the monthly average collection is $281,964.
At the conclusion of the sales tax report, Bailey expressed her thanks to the community for its continued support in buying local.
Action items
The first action item was a retention stipend for all full-time employees of the school system. Lundy explained the stipend was a one-time payment that would be based on years of service. The cost to the school system would be $657,203.
The superintendent recommended the purchase of 50 Chromebooks and licenses from Dell Technologies for Turner Woods Elementary School in the amount of $15,022, utilizing Title One funds, and the purchase of 18 Interactive Flat Panels with installation for the Jones County School District at the cost of $102,973, utilizing $100,000 from the Rural Technology Grant and $2,973 from the technology budget.
The next action item was a resolution for a referendum to be placed on the ballot for approval of a one-cent tax to be used for education. If approved the ESPLOST would begin in 2025 and continue through 2029.
Board members were also presented with a draft of the 2023-24 JCSS calendar and two new policies, the Parent’s Bill of Rights and Material Harmful to Minors Complaint Resolution Process, both of which are required by law.
Each of the action items were approved unanimously by board members.
There were no public comments, and the meeting was adjourned to enter closed session.
The next meeting of the board is a Jan. 5 work session that will begin at 5 p.m., and the next regular board meeting is scheduled Jan. 10 at 6 p.m.
