The Union County Board of Education approved a use contract for four years at the field located below the sheriff's office on Hwy 33. Mary Ann Stackhouse, attorney for the BOE, recommended the approval. Stackhouse will be retiring this year, but the Board also extended the services of her affiliated firm with different legal representation.
Additionally, the board authorized the Union County Finance Department to bid the bus contracts. Director Greg Clay noted that this action would likely increase the transportation expenditure in next year's budget since the last bid date was 2019.
Other contracts for K-12 and a TCAT building lease were discussed but are not ready for board action. Clay explained that negotiations with K-12 were centered around transportation funds of $1.5M and the local cost reduction. He also noted that virtual school enrollment had decreased by 1%. The per-child state appropriation also increased from $6,860 to $7,075.
Stackhouse reviewed concerns with the TCAT lease regarding long term maintenance, student safety, construction easements, parking, construction parking, and rights to terminate the lease.
Dr. Ronnie Mincey distributed the latest TSBA policy recommendations. He stated that many of the recommendations had been reviewed and discussed at the former policy meetings held last year. Rebecca Lock voiced that she had concerns over the public comments and the corporal punishment recommendations. Lock stated that public comments should be allowed on concerns on or off the agenda and that corporal punishment should have prior parent permission, not just an attempt to notify the parent to seek approval.
In capital projects, Clay reported that the roof project would begin at UCHS on April 1 and be completed by the end of the school year. Also, baseball and softball improvements are continuing. A local contractor donated his time to install the new baseball fence. The softball building may be a capital project in next year’s budget.
All budget amendments and the surplus items were approved. The board retreat is being planned. The vape detectors have been installed at EMAC and vaping is decreasing at the ALC. Rebecca Lock, Board Legislative Liason, and Director Clay are sending a letter to Senator Frank Niceley to seek his support of the changes to the 4th grade retention bill and to voice concerns over the voucher bill, especially the open enrollment clause in the Senate version.
Senator Niceley has requested more information to write a bill for next year’s legislative session that would allow students in the virtual school to participate in their local school system sports program. Carolyn Murr, President of UCEA, requested the students and teachers have early release for the total eclipse on April 8. Director Clay responded that the half day release is set and that viewing glasses have already been ordered. Murr and Clay noted that this is the last total eclipse for 100 years in this area of the United States.
The BOE will have a budget workshop on Thursday, April 4, in the UCHS Library. The regular workshop and meeting will begin at 6 p.m. on April 11 in the UCHS Auditorium.