In less than 20 minutes, the Union County Board of Education held a workshop, conducted a regular meeting, and dispensed with two months of business that included an agenda with twelve items plus an addendum.
With only five members present, Chairman Coppock called the December meeting to order and asked for discussion on a large number of school trips. When Dr. Carter explained that most of the trips had been approved in a previous executive session by the chairman and himself, the board approved the few that needed board action. These trips included the UCHS softball trip to Alabama and the HMMS trip to Washington, DC.
Finance Director Ann Dyer reported that expenditures were below or at expected levels for the budget. The board approved Budget Amendments and Transfers that included increases in revenue due to the Gear Up Grant, an insurance recovery, a reimbursement from workers compensation, and expenditures for speech pathology.
The board took action on several contracts. The Elgin’s Children Foundation was renewed for student dental services. A new athletic trainer will begin work on January 1, 2020. The board agreed with Ms. Stackhouse, board attorney, when she recommended that the board non-renew the contract with K-12 (for the virtual academy, TNVA) and reserve the option to negotiate a new contract to begin July 1, 2020. Stackhouse also reported that the Union County Historical Society had agreed to have the adjacent property owner and the trustee on the deed included in a lawsuit since at the board's request, a decision on the property boundary will be addressed by that lawsuit.
The board also granted permission to bid bus contracts since this year would conclude the four-year contracts. Dyer reminded the board that the new purchasing agent would be heavily involved in creating these bid documents
The board passed on first reading at least five board policy changes including 1.101, 1.102, 2.202, 5.301 and 6.300 .
Finally, the board set the revised pay scales for secretaries and assistant cheerleader coaches. At a previous meeting, the board increased the supplement for assistant cheerleader coaches and lengthened the work year of secretaries.
The first board meeting of 2020 will be on Thursday, January 9.