BOE Begins Year Thinking Ahead

During their work session on Monday, January 11, the Gilmer County Board of Education highlighted their process for establishing the new Academic Calendar. This calendar gone through the staff of all the schools and was pooled into a master list for the Board members at the meeting.

As they move forward, the Board will begin consolidating this calendar and is set to post it, possibly by the end of the week, for public review and comment. Superintendent Dr. Shanna Wilkes implied a desire to have the calendar voted on by the public using the Survey Monkey service to maintain a cleaner vote, after which she hopes to have the revised copy ready to be voted on for acceptance by the Board at next month’s meeting.

The calendar is set to include 180 days for students and 190 days for staff.

The Board has also begun work on revising the Code of Conduct for students after previous situations of uncertainty  in regards to the handbook. To further this, they have researched other counties to aid in their revisions and will be moving to adopt a revised copy, possibly next month. Dr. Wilkes stated the revised edition will be very similar to the current code with most of the effort set to clarify and define several different aspects including situations that were unclear on how to respond or the severity of a response to certain incidents and actions.

The BOE has also received its bids for the E-Rate Project to completely redo the school systems wireless infrastructure. After receiving 5 bids, a closer look was given to the top 2, and ultimately presented to the Board on Monday with ETC being reported as the best bid. This project is set to move forward at this point where it will be submitted to the state level to possibly be approved for the needed grant to fund the project. Though this grant would not be usable for purchasing computers or such, the wireless infrastructure sets as a foundation for everything from security to students to computers and tablets.

After regular items such as the Finance Report, 2010 ESPLOST, and 2015 ESPLOST, Superintendent Dr. Shanna Wilkes highlighted some of the Construction projects updates reporting that Bids are current;y underway for their early release package and lights currently being planted and installed at CCMS for the track and field. She also reported GHS is hard at work planning and researching costs of moving the Graduation Ceremony for this year to the baseball field as construction will be heavily underway at the football field. While no exact amount was mentioned, Dr. Wilkes suggested renting full bleachers for the event would be very expensive. She offered an alternative that is currently being looked at to raise the graduation stage higher so that viewers could see the stage while sitting in chairs.

Board member Jim Parmer suggested an idea of purchasing chairs that could then be used throughout the schools for other events afterwards. Amid further discussion, Dr. Wilkes assured the Board and citizens the issue was continuing to be looked at closely.

Also in the meeting, Policy changes to GCRA(1) Drug Screening of Bus Drivers, GCRG Classified Personnel Leaves and Absences, GCRGA Classified Personnel Emergency and Legal Leave, GCRGB Classified Personnel Sick Leave, and GCRH Classified Personnel Vacations were submitted for First Reading. Policy Changes were submitted for Second Reading included AFC Emergency Closings, DFK Gifts and Bequests, and GAE Complaints and Greivances with Policies for possible rescinding being ABCB Board Member Qualification, CMA Administrative Rules, and IEC Class Size.

Policy CMA Administrative Rules also had a suggestion to be kept while only changing one word of “Directs” to “Authorizes.” Board Member Noreen Thomas felt this was the correct way to go saying there was need to retain the authorization as a policy saying, “There is, I think, a difference between having the policy and not having the policy” due to things needing done but not needing an entire Board Vote. This policy is set to be voted on Thursday at the Board’s Regular Meeting.