The last Board of Education meeting before students ended their school year considered accomplishments and goals for students, teachers and administrators.
The May 10 meeting was called to order by Board Chairman Ginger Bailey, and she was first to present her report. Bailey said she is watching legislation with concern.
“The education world seems to be changing daily,” she said. “We have to be focused on educating our children and not blindsided by the legislation coming down.”
Board member Dr. Nancy Nash commented that she took her grandsons to the library that afternoon to be read to by Literacy Specialist Amy Marlowe.
Board member Alfred Pitts noted that there were 10 days left for students, but the jobs of teachers, staff and employees are never finished.
“There is never enough time for education. We are always preparing for another year,” he said. “I appreciate everything that has been done through the year.”
In his superintendent’s report, Charles Lundy said the end of the year is an exciting time with cording ceremonies, honors awards and graduation. He noted that he would be meeting the following day with health department officials to talk about the temporary use of a portion of the former Gray Elementary School while the health department facility is being renovated.
Lundy said the Grad Walk through Jones County Schools was scheduled Friday, and Graduation was scheduled at 6 p.m. May 24 at the Centennial Center in Milledgeville.
The superintendent also announced the dates of for the approval process for the 2022-23 budget with presentation of the first draft at a 5 p.m. session May 26. Other budget meetings are scheduled at 10 a.m. May 31, at which time the draft will be voted on for approval. If approved, the draft budget will be posted for public view. The first public hearing for the budget is scheduled at 5 p.m. June 7, prior to the board’s Leadership Retreat at Butler Hall in Gray. The final public hearing and budget adoption is scheduled 10 a.m., June 16.
Other than the June 7 public hearing, all other budget meetings will take place in the Professional Learning/Board Meeting Room located at 131 Gordon Street.
Lundy also distributed a draft of next year’s school board meeting schedule to board members.
Report items
Mary Frances Stewart presented the curriculum update. She said unit planning was interrupted due to COVID-19, but K-8 plans have been completed.
“This is not cookie-cutter instruction. The goal is to be doing the same things at the same time,” she said.
The speaker said it was not about lesson plans but a standard of when to teach. She said all materials and resources are made available for all teachers.
Stewart said they are now working on four areas in high school classes. She said they are documenting what they are doing, using state curriculum and putting on paper what is being done in Jones County.
“The plan and standards are on the website,” she said.
Stewart said Principal Lance Rackley had the idea of using blocks for algebra classes to help students who are struggling, and they are actively looking for help for teachers.
“We are looking at nine blocks that would have 20-25 students in a class. We have that many who need the help,” she said.
Stewart said she was excited that the school system is able to bring Dr. Douglas Fisher to Jones County. She said she has heard him speak and feels it will benefit teachers to hear him in person.
Stewart said Fisher would present three different sessions and would be in Jones County all day.
“We have been implementing teacher-based standards for four years. These sessions fit into all the things teachers are tasked to do,” she said.
Jones County College and Career Academy CEO Laura Rackley presented an update for the academy. She said spring activities included the first JC FLEX Contest for student entrepreneurs, mock interviews, a Pathway Fair, Registration nights, Governance Board Training, Junior Leadership Jones and signing days.
Rackley noted that some of the mock interviews turned into real interviews with several students hired on the spot.
She said the signing days are modeled after sports signings but include workforce, college and future educator signing days. Separate signing days were held for C.W. Matthews and SkillsUSA.
Rackley said the construction program received industry certification, and CTAE celebrated its first Student of the Year Scholarship program. There was a College and Career fair and most recently a Senior Pathway Recognition night.
The CEO announced new programs including Phlebotomy and Heavy Equipment Operator due to need in industries. She also announced a full-time agriculture instructor at Gray Station Middle School.
Rackley said a new obstacle course was being designed for the JROTC program.
The biggest news was this year’s location for the Lt. Governor’s Summit, which will be at Butler Hall in Jones County, Sept. 29.
Jones County Nutrition Director Matoshia Grant had more good news for board members with the receipt of a $28,000 grant from the Georgia Department of Education for a new oven for JCHS. She said Jones County received a $500 ‘buy locally grant’ for produce and a $109,000 USDA grant to assist with the rising prices of food for the next school year.
“It’s a struggle to get the food in schools that students want to eat,” Grant said.
The director said the GDOE had also provided $77,000 to assist with the salaries of school nutrition employees, and $6,000 was received to help pay for commodities.
Grant said Jones County School Nutrition has a great team in its office to keep the program running smoothly. She said participation is up for both breakfast and lunch with $3.1 million in revenue collected for meals served in Jones County schools.
The director said summer lunches would be offered to students in June and in July, if needed. She said lunches would continue to be free for elementary schools, but students in middle and high schools would be charged for lunches during the 2022-23 school year.
“That makes the application for waivers even more important for next year,” she said. “I’m very proud of the hard work being done to feed our children. We are sending out surveys to every household to find out what students like and what we can do better.”
Assistant Superintendent Geneva Braziel went over the Board of Education members’ self-assessment reports, noting suggestions from the review committee.
JCSS CFO Tonya Merritt presented the finance report as of April 30, which marked 83.33 percent of the school year. The total revenues were $46,062,281 and total expenses $42,533,677. The ending cash in the back is $24,769,682.
Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax collections for April were $254,934, and the average monthly ESPLOST collections was $242,253.
Action items
• Lundy recommended the following purchases and renewals:
• Contract renewal with Illuminate Education Inc. to provide assessments, data reports and interventions for JCSS for an estimated cost of $35,658.98 using ESSER III funds
• Contract renewal with Learning A-Z for grades K-5 RAZ Plus and Vocabulary A-Z licenses for all Jones County Elementary Schools for an estimated cost of $39,185.86 using ESSER III funds
• Contract renewal with Explore Learning for Reflex Site Licenses for an estimated cost of $32,027.40 using ESSER III funds
• Contract renewal with NWEA for Map Growth Site Licenses for grades K-12 for an estimated cost of $41,002 using ESSER III funds
• Contract with Corwin Press Inc to provide professional learning with Dr. Douglas Fisher for an estimated cost of $17,500 using ESSER III funds
• Resolution to approve the Local Facilities Plan
• Contract with Shaw Integrated Solutions to replace carpet in the Gray Station Middle School Media Center at an estimated cost of $34,765.46 using funds from the Maintenance and Operation Budget
• Contract with Solutionz Inc to purchase and install 35 Viewsonic Interactive Panels for JCSS for and estimated cost of $108,399.55 using funds from the technology budget
• Purchase of door hardware from Macon Door and Hardware for JCHS for and estimated cost of $10,428.09 using funds from Maintenance and Operation Budget
• Contract with K-12 Group Solutions for the Infinite Campus Student Information System for an estimated cost of $14,098. Using funds from the technology budget
• Contract with Smyrna Truck & Cargo to purchase a Service Body Master for the Maintenance and Operations Department for an estimated cost of $10,934.56 using funds from the Maintenance and Operation Budget
• Purchase of a Surgelogic Surge Protector from Lowe Electric Supply for Mattie Wells Elementary for an estimated cost of $12,774.33 using funds from the Maintenance and Operation Budget Board members unanimously approved each of Lundy’s recommendations.
The next monthly meeting of the Board is scheduled June 14.
