Grants and Apple Festival preparations in financial approvals
Featured Stories, News September 18, 2022
EAST ELLIJAY, Ga. – Several financial approvals came from the Board of Education this week with letters for grants, memorandums, bonds, and the Financial Report for the month.
With October weeks away, the board approved a Memorandum of Understanding with the Gilmer Chamber utilizing its buses again this year. With an increase in the hourly rate for drivers of the buses, the $56,000 agreement was approved during their regular meeting. The largest event of the year in Gilmer County, the buses typically run between several locations including the downtown area for Apple Arts, the joining event for the Apple Festival, the school’s parking lot for visitors to the festival, and the festival grounds themselves.
The board moved on to grant applications for the College and Career Academy at the Larry Walker Education Center. In support of a $3 million grant for the College and Career Academy, a requirement came up to include a Letter of Support from the Board of Education. The board recently approved the transferring of instructional units in July to bring it into state compliance with the transfer and phase out of buildings in order to put the state credit earnings in there proper place.
The 2022 bond bus approval and September’s monthly financial report rounded out the meeting’s financial approvals alongside purchasing policy information including additional weights for GHS. Board member Joe Pflueger asked about the purchase after the board spent $40,000 in June on new weights for the high school. The purchase came for replacing broken weights as well as 3 additional weight stations due to high volume of students using and waiting on the original stations. With the three additional stations, nine total are now in use at the high school.
Purchases also include $12,000 in inspections for the school system as the board looks to recover from a recent lightning strike that damaged the main administration building and shining a light on a need for an additional or replacement to generators in the system.
BOE approves administrators and board chairs
News January 30, 2022
EAST ELLIJAY, Ga. – The beginning of 2022 has the Gilmer Board of Education establishing the new year with annual approvals and nominations for board chairs and school administrators renewals.
A typical agenda item for January, the approval of chairs sets the officers for the entire year while administrator renewal must be approved before they can then submit their own personnel lists for approval.
Official nominations and approvals came for Ronald Watkins as Board Chairman and Doug Pritchett as Board Vice-Chair.
Alongside the approval on January’s personnel changes approved as a whole, administrative renewals were handled individually.
For administrators in the central office for the Board of Education, unanimous approvals came for Lottie Mitchell as Assistant Superintendent overseeing Curriculum, Lindy Patterson as Federal Programs Director & Title IX Coordinator, Jessica Chastain as Student Services Director, Trina Penland as Finance Director, John Call as Technology Director, Patricia Partin as School Nutrition Director, Samantha Amos as Transportation Director, Bob Sosebee as Maintenance Director, and Kim Cagle as Testing Coordinator.
Dana Berry was approved with three yes votes as Assistant Superintendent overseeing Operations. Board members Michael Parks and Joe Pflueger abstained from voting.
As for School Administrators, unanimous approval came for Nicole Pike as Principal of Clear Creek Middle School, Melinda Fonteboa as Principal of Ellijay Elementary School, Stephanie Burnette as Principal of Clear Creek Elementary School, and Charles Walker as Principal of Mountain View Elementary School.
Carla Foley was approved as principal of Gilmer High School with three votes. Board member Michael Parks abstained from voting. Board member Joe Pflueger voted against the approval.