Rather than hire consultants to provide the district with teacher coaching and student tutoring, Superintendent Billy Ellzey is proposing that the district use those monies to create in-house positions to provide those services.
“The academic coach and interventionist are new positions that are federally funded. These are certified teachers who are put into positions to tutor students in need, assist teachers in using data to meet students’ needs and work with leadership in the building for support of all teachers to better serve students in the classroom and assist with extra needs of students,” said Ellzey.
The goal is to hire for those positions from within and then fill the regular teaching vacancies that may be created as a result.
“I think we get more bang for our buck,” he said, by spending the funds internally.
During the Superintendent’s report to the Kosciusko School Board Monday night, Ellzey noted that the district is in the process of having a second required evaluation of hail damage to the high school roof in the hopes that insurance will cover some or all of the cost to replace the roof at the school. The district is advertising for bids and expects the work to begin in June.
The board approved funding of $79,000 to purchase a new school bus, something the district tries to do each year using, in part, available grant funding.
“The bus purchase is something we try to do each year when funds are available to keep our fleet current. We have approximately 25 buses we run routes with, so if we purchase one each year, we are able to replace a bus that is approximately 25 years old,” Ellzey said. “This method also allows us to use a grant that provides some funds toward the bus purchase as we retire an older less efficient bus.”
The board also authorized the $18,500 purchase of a used 2016 pickup truck to replace one the transportation department uses for taking care of buses after the current pickup had an engine failure.
Adult and student lunch prices will remain the same for the next school year at $3.75 for adults and $3.00 for students.
The board also approved a memorandum of understanding that allows firefighters and others to come into the schools to teach students about safety, exercise and nutrition.
Staff supplements, payments
The board approved $1,500 supplement payments to special education personnel for certain tasks they undertake in accommodating special needs students. Certified staff receiving the supplements are Moteka Beechamp, Carol Fiedler, Patty Frazure, Monica Harris, Christi Hill, Brandy Hood, Joy Robertson, Lee Staten and Bea Ziegler. Non-certified staff receiving the supplements are Lilly Jamison, Sommer Jackson and Georgena Merritt.
Child nutrition workers who worked during the period when schools have been closed to man the community feeding program were approved to receive regular pay for those hours worked in addition to the pay they already received under the state’s executive orders.
Three district retirees were approved to receive payment for their unused sick days. Beth Moss and Debbie Howell will each receive 30 days’ pay ($2,100) and Danny Ladd will receive pay for 16 days ($928).
Pam Patton will receive $4,379.20 in special education supplement pay for extra days she worked in relation to Project Search.
Personnel items
Following an executive session to discuss teacher hires for the 2020-2021 school year, the board returned to public session to approve the following hires at salary scale:
Dawn Wallace (KUE counselor) Tracy Risher (KLE counselor) Emily Trussell (KJH science teacher);
Sydney Coleman (KLE Special Education teacher);
Tony Terry (KHS retired part time teacher and KHS softball coach);
Logan Cheek (KJHS lead teacher, a new position to assist in curriculum, student tutoring and other needs in the building);
Wylie Rhodes (KHS History teacher and assistant football coach) ;
Jonathan Cates (KHS Health teacher and assistant football coach);
Kurt Pinnix (KHS history teacher and assistant football coach);
Brittany Beauchamp (KME teacher, likely third grade);
Mary Shelby (KME teacher, likely third grade).
The board voted to accept resignations from Upper Elementary School Counselor Marcy McGlothin, Middle Elementary Teaching Assistant Betty Rodgers, Middle Elementary Special Education teacher Christi Freeny, Junior High Band Director Michael Campbell, and Junior High Special Education teacher and Assistant Baseball Coach Justin Peresich.
The board also approved hiring Latasha Johnson as a full time child nutrition worker at $8 per hour.
