BOARD OF EDUCATION
Board of Education members held their final meeting before school lets out for the summer and the school year winds down.
Board Chairman Ginger Bailey called the May 9 meeting to order and talked about several events she recently attended at the schools. She said she went to a breakfast for the entrepreneur program that celebrated 50 different internships for students.
At another event, Bailey said 10 students signed commitments to become teachers.
“That’s good to hear,” she said. “The teacher shortage is beginning in Georgia. We are blessed.”
The chairman said just that morning she attended a pre-K program that had a room filled with parent support.
Board member Kim Washburn said Greenwood Baptist Church will have fed breakfast to every Jones County School by year’s end.
“We want to show our appreciation for what our schools do for our county,” he said.
Board member Alfred Pitts commented on a recent work session. He said the information presented gave him a better understanding of what is going on in the schools.
“Things are changing in education, and we need to know,” he said.
Pitts said the JROTC obstacle course being constructed at the high school was going to be nice and a good example of tax dollars being put to use.
“Jones County students have opportunities for many different careers. We need to keep giving them our support. People trust us, and we need to maintain that trust,” he said.
Superintendent Charles Lundy talked about several important dates, including a legal issues conference that was held April 15 and a May 5 workbased learning breakfast.
Lundy said the million-word reading recognition would take place the following morning.
“We have a lot of million-word readers in our county,” he said.
The superintendent said the Grad Walk would be May 12, and Graduation is May 23.
Perhaps his biggest announcement was that Dames Ferry Elementary had been selected to participate in a NASA event Sept. 7, during which students would be live-streamed, having their questions answered by astronauts on the International Space Station.
“We are honored to be one of five schools selected. It will be an exciting day,” he said.
Finance report
Jones County School System CFO Tonya Merritt presented the finance report as of April 30, which was 83.33 percent of the school year.
Total revenues were $47,900,675 and total expenditures $46,139,929. The total cash in the bank was $7,226,126. That balance does not include a U.S. Treasury Note in the amount of $16,963,677.
Merritt said the Education SPLOST collections for the month of March was received April 30 and totaled $397,734, which is the highest monthly amount collected on record. The monthly average collection is $289,001.
Bailey said the school system is a partnership with the community.
“They buy local. We appreciate it and need to say it,” she added.
Action items
• Lundyrecommended the following list of items that were all unanimously approved by board members:
• ContractwithImagine Learning to purchase 50 Purpose Prep Concurrent Users and one Purpose Prep TD Webiner for JCSS grades 6-12 for the estimate cost of $17,350 utilizing funds from ESSER II
• ContractwithGallopadeto purchase grades 6-8 Social Studies books for GSMS for an estimated cost of $14,683 utilizing funds from Title 1.
• ContractwithDELL Technologies to purchase 47 Chrombooks and Google license for GSMS under state contract for estimated cost of $12,422 utilizing funds from Title 1
• ContractwithHand2Mindto purchase Math Manipulatives for DFES for an estimated cost of $18,405 utilizing funds from Title 1
• ContractwithHand2Mindto purchase Math Manipulatives for MWES for an estimated cost of $19,729 utilizing funds from Title 1
• ContractwithHand2Mindto purchase Math Manipulatives for TWES for an estimated cost of $11,474 utilizing funds from Title 1
• ContractwithHand2Mindto purchase Math Manipulatives for JCHS for an estimated cost of $10,159 utilizing funds from Title 1
• ContractwithDELLtechnologies to purchase 30 DELL Latitude 3540 laptops for MWES under state contract for an estimated cost of $24,400 utilizing funds from ESSER III
• ApprovaloftheFY24Board Meeting/Work Session schedule
• ContractwithFerrellgasto provide all equipment, LPG and infrastructure as noted to fuel buses for the next three years at a fixed additional cost of $1.25 per gallon
• ThenextBoardofEducation meeting is a work session scheduled May 25 at 6 p.m.
