BOARD OF EDUCATION
Jones County Board of Education members heard from the school system’s athletic director and departing student teachers during their March business meeting.
The March 14 meeting was called to order by Board Chairman Ginger Bailey. The chairman welcomed all at the meeting and thanked the community for its support.
Board member Dr. Nancy Nash said she appreciated the Title I presentation by teachers at the work session and thanked the sponsors of the recent FLEX competition for making it possible.
“The students competing already have businesses,” she pointed out.
Board member Alfred Pitts said he would like the board to do a deep dive into student reports. He also said the state is putting pressure on local boards.
“People putting money in the school system want results,” he said. “We need to make sure we are doing the best we can.”
Superintendent Charles Lundy again congratulated Jones County High School varsity basketball coach Buck Harris and the basketball team for their final-four run. He said it was the best finish for JCHS in 50 years.
Lundy recognized the board during School Board Appreciation Week and noted that eighthgraders visited JCHS for a Pathway Fair to see what is going on at the high school.
Presentations
Jones County School System Athletic Director Chad Alligood addressed board members. He said he had a good 28 years coaching football, and he has seen it all.
“In 2020 I had my dream job at Northside, but I left it to come here. Why? Because I see the potential here to be great. This is a great opportunity,” he said. “Jones County High School is the best high school I’ve ever set my foot in; no comparison.”
Alligood said he wants what is best for kids to be successful, and he is going to fight for it. He went on to share his personal motto of “tempo—love—compete.”
Georgia College and State University student teachers used a PowerPoint presentation to talk about their experiences as studentteachers at Gray and Turner Woods elementary schools and Gray Station and Clifton Ridge middle schools.
The student-teachers who presented were Claire Garwes, Laurel Sneller, Chloe Guler, Catharine Waters, Kyli Reese, Ashley Mooney, Emma Futch and Abby Austin. The presenters thanked their teacher partners and others in their support groups.
Literacy Specialist Karen Beaver and 6-12 Curriculum Director Mary Frances Stewart gave a MAP testing update. MAPis anassessment for measuring achievement and growth in K–12 math, reading, language usage and science.
Beaver said they started a deep dig beyond the district data at a JoCola meeting and looked at each school’s data. She said the goal is to close achievement gaps.
“It’s OK to have data where it is not supposed to be, but it’s not OK to stay there,” she said.
Both math and reading charts showed growth for students above grade level from the fall to winter assessments and reductions for the students one grade below.
Finance report
Lundy gave the financial report to the board for the month ending Feb. 28, which represents 66.67 percent of the school year. The total revenues were $39,118,424 and total expenditures $36,555,370.
The ending cash balance was $15,038,434. That balance does not include the JCSS U.S. Treasury Note in the amount of $9,963,677.
Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax collections for February were $275,933, and the average monthly total collections is $281,614.
Action items
The superintendent recommended the approval of a contract with Kidz Stuff LLC to purchase SB Essentials Backpacks for Dames Ferry Elementary School grades K-5 for an estimated cost of $16,494, utilizing funds from Tittle I.
Lundy reminded board members that the backpacks were discussed in the March 16 Title I presentation by Melody Nebel about summer take-home resources for students. The purchase was approved unanimously.
The board also approved the purchase of an i-Vu Building Control System for Turner Woods Elementary School at a cost of $23,681, funded from the maintenance and operations budget and the purchase of a 2007 GM/ Mid-Bus for the transportation department.
The bus has an estimated cost of $39,752 and was funded from the 2019 SPLOST.
The final action item was approval for the purchase of a 2023 Chevy Express Van from Hardy Chevrolet at a cost of $31,943 from the M&O budget for use by the maintenance department.
With nothing else on the agenda, the meeting was adjourned to enter closed session.
The next meeting date for the Board of Education is April 11.
