Jones County Board of Education members appear ready to join the Jones County Board of Commissioners in rolling back tax rates to help property owners due to rising property values that are the result of the reassessment of county properties.
Tax Commissioner Brian Jackson attended the Aug. 12 board meeting to explain the reason the tax rate needs to be rolled back. He passed a handout to board members showing what the reassessment added to the digest, which is $158,760,401.
The handout also showed that, even with the rollback, the digest would increase by $919,891, which is 6.58 percent. The 2024 tax rate was 16.321 and the proposed rate is 14.366, just short of 2 mills less.
Jones County School System CFO Tonya Merritt said the board would vote on the tax rate after the required advertisements are run and hearings are held.
Board Chairman Ginger Bailey called the monthly business meeting to order. Her report was about the Maggie Califf building. She said the board has been trying to get the title to the property that dates back to 1953.
Bailey said the School Board Authority has the title, and they are working to find out how a piece of the property was conveyed in 1964.
“We know it can be done, but we need to determine next steps. This has been going on too long,” she said, and her next comment was directed to those of the Maggie Califf Committee.
“You have the keys to the building. Please use it.”
In her report, board member Dr. Nancy Nash said she recently attended a volleyball game in the Jones County High School’s air-conditioned gym.
“It was very nice and cool,” she said.
Board member Brady Skinner said there were other properties around the county that are dormant. He suggested looking also into uses for those properties.
“Perhaps a park for the city?” he said.
Interim School Superintendent Clinton Burston reported that it was the ninth day of the school year and enrollment was down slightly. He said the enrollment on the same day in 2022 was 5,125; in 2023 4,985; 2024 4,996 and this year 4,933.
Burston said all was quiet and going well.
He said they would be starting the Aspiring Leadership Program for teachers in September. Burston said it would be an application only program that would include eight to 10 teachers.
Reports
After the presentation by Jackson, Merritt gave the financial report. She said the July 31 report represented 8.33 percent of the new school year. The total revenues are $4,457,623 and total expenditure $5,306.040. Cash in the bank $24,287,708.
The July collection for the Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax was $329,562.26 with a monthly average of $312,169.
Bailey thanked the community for support the school system by buying local and complimented the appearance of the schools.
“All of our schools looked good at open house,” she said.
Action items
Burston recommended the approval of a contract with VIRCO Inc. to purchase 150 student desks and chairs for JCHS under the cooperative US Communities contract for an estimated amount of $45,208, utilizing funds from the maintenance and operations budget.
Board member Mike Gordon made the motion to approve the recommendation, and it was approved unanimously.
The superintendent also presented two policy revisions for the board’s consideration. The first was pertaining to reasons for excused absences and the second the internet policy for instructional programs.
Executive Director for Student Services Dr. Trevis Killen explained the absence policy was due to a change in state law to keep the county in compliance. He said chronic unexcused absences go to a committee.
Bailey said was time for the school system to drill down on this issue.
“You can’t teach what is not in front of you,” he said.
Burston recommended the two policies be tabled until the next board meeting and voted on at that time.
Skinner made the motion to table the policies, and his motion was unanimously approved.
At the conclusion of the agenda items, the board meeting was adjourned to enter closed session at 6:35 p.m. The meeting was called back to order at 7 p.m. At that time Burston recommended approval of the personnel actions discussed during the closed session. Nash made the motion to approve the personnel actions. The motion was unanimously approved, and the meeting was adjourned.
The next meeting of the board is a work session scheduled at 5 p.m. Sept. 4.
