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3ht Sutler 3tfrral&
“Your Newspaper Since 1876”
(Publication Number USPS 534-720)
144th YEAR, NO. 29 THURSDAY, JULY 22, 2021 1 SECTION, 8 PAGES 50 CENTS PER COPY
Local Schools Plan For In-Person
Instruction For 2021-22 School Year
By VALORI MOORE
Editor
The Taylor County Board of
Education held its regular
monthly meeting last Monday
night, July 12th, with Vice
Chair Dr, Glenda Latimore pre
side ng, in the ahscnce of Chair
man Greg Brown. The Invoca
tion was given by Rev. Brian
Litch, pastor of Butler United
Methodist Church.
Superintendent Jennifer
Albritton announced that the
reopening guidelines will be
updated for the upcoming
school year, after a meeting is
held with parents and stake
holders for input.
The plan is to return to a more
traditional environment, with
in-person instruction only, fol
lowing a nontradltional school
year for 2020-21, which in
cluded distance learning dur
ing the COVTD-19 pandemic.
Plans include: no mask man
date, no screening at the begin
ning of each school day, no spac
ing requirements, and no vac
cine mandate. However, the
schools will follow social dis
tancing, as much as possible,
and will continue clean ingregi
ments.
There is some concern about
the school buses. The Centers
for Disease Control issued an
order that requires masks on
public buses, and school buses
fall under this order.
Final guidelines will be issued
after the meeting with stake
holders.
As part of the Corona vims
Aid, Relief, and Economic Se
curity (CARES) Act, schools
received Elementary and Sec
ondary School Emergency Re
lief (ESSER) funds. Taylor
County Schools will receive
$2,838,326 in ESSER III funds,
to be spent between now and
Sept. 30,2024. These funds are
being budgeted, along with
ESSER 11 funds. The funds are
to be used to get kids back in
school, and 20'# has to go to
ward addressing learning loss
during the pandemic. These
funds will also be used on fa
cilities, upgrading w ater foun
tains, etc,
Parent/Student Handbooks
for the 2021-22 school year
were presented. The handbook
for the primary and upper el
ementary schools was ap
proved, with no changes.
Administrators recommended
the following changes to the
middle/high school handbook:
allowing earrings and a single
nose stud, but no other visible
body piercings; making the
valedictorian and salutatorian
announcements at the end of
the 3rd nine weeks grading pe
riod, effective with the Class of
2023, and revoking parking
privileges for students with
eight or more tardies in nine
weeks.
The motion was made to adopt
the middle/high school hand
book, and discussion followed.
Board Member Wes Summers
said ho is not in favor of nose
piercings and other body
piercings (other than earrings)
being allowed, noting that the
students will be out in the
workforce soon, and this is not
acceptable in many work envi
ronments. He also noted that
he is a proponent of, “To win the
race, you’ve got to cross the fin
ish line,” and does not favor
determining the valedictorian
and salutatorian prior to the
end of the school year. Mr,
Summers agrees with punish
ing tardies, but is concerned
about revoking parking privi
leges. He said this could cause
dangerous driving, and stu
dents will park somew here off
campus.
The vote to adopt the middle/
high school handbook was 1:3,
with Dr. Latimore voting yes,
and Board Members Mary
Bentley, Summers, and Wayne
Mclnvale voting no. The mo
tion failed.
Superintendent Albritton rec
ommended approving the
handbook, removing the three
changes, and the handbook was
unanimously adopted, with no
changes,
A rendering of the new 3-12
school is expected soon, and
construction is expected to be
gin in December or January,
with site work beginning in
September.
Two policies were tabled at
last month’s meeting for the
required 30 day review’ period.
This month. Policies GARH
and IDE(3) were adopted.
Policy GARII adds a provision
for paid parental leave, up to
120 hours, with a qualifying
event. This policy is required
bylaw r . Policy I DEf 3) refers to
the Dexter-Moseley Act and al
lows home-schooled students to
participate in extracurricular
activities. Students must take
at least one qualifying course
and notify the school district 30
days prior to the start of a se
mester, to participate. This is
also required by law.
Director of Technology Denton
Wainwright was reap pointed to
serve on the Taylor County Li
brary Board through June 30,
2024,
After the regular meeting, an
executive session was held.
Taylor County 10U Allstars
Are Dixie Youth State Champions
The Taylor County 10U Allstars were undefeated in the Dixie Youth District and State
Tournaments and are now the Dixie Youth State Champions. The Dixie Youth State Tour
nament was held July 9-11 and July 16-18 in Cochran, GA. The State Champions will
represent Georgia in the Dixie Youth World Series, beginning July 30 th, in Laurel, MS.
The State Champions (l-r) are: kneeling, Lane Allen and Dawson Adams; front row,
Jackson Cosey, Chandler Stokes, and Bryson Parks; middle row, Coach Frank Acree,
Jentzen Hunter, Maddox Acree, Flint Cross, Tyson Hinton, and Coach Justin Allen; and
back row, Bryson Cobb, Coach Bobby Hinton, Edward u Kyng” Brown, Jr., and Easton
Bartow.
Priman School 1:30 pm 5:30 pm
Kli’inenlan School 3:1)0 pm 7:00 pm
Middle SHinol 5:00 pm 7:00 pm
High Srhmd 5:00 pm 7:30 pin
Taylor County
Participates
In Statewide
Bible Reading
Marathon
Wednesday, July 14th, a
group represented Taylor
County in a Statewide Bible
Reading Marathon, wherein
all 159 counties in the state
of Georgia simultaneously
read assigned chapters from
the Bible. Thanks to all who
participated and attended.
Danny Perkins (right) is pic
tured reading. Joining the
pastors and Pei'kins in read
ing were Wes and Lilia Beth
Summers. Pastors who par
ticipated (above, lower, l-r)
are: Rev. Tommy Bee land,
The Church; Rev. Bobby
Bentley, Bethel Congrega
tional Methodist Church;
Rev. Mike Brandenburg,
First Baptist Church of But
ler; Rev. Fitz Brown, Mt.
Pisgah Baptist Church; Rev.
Jeff Cummings, First Baptist Church of Reynolds; Rev. Brian Litch, Butler United Meth
odist Church, and Rev. Morris Smith, St. Phillip AME Church.
Viking Hunter Moore Signs
With South Georgia College
Hunter Moore has signed a baseball scholarship with South Georgia College in Douglas,
GA. Hunter is a 2021 Honor Graduate of Taylor County High School, where he was a
member of the Viking Baseball Team for four years. Pictured (l-r) are: front row, Hunter’s
grandmother, PatisuePerkins; his mother.; Monica Moore; Hunter; his father, Walker Moore;
and his grandfather, Danny Perkins; and back row, TCHS Principal Brian Barnhill;
Viking Baseball Head Coach Mark Wilson; his sister, Harleigh Moore; and Viking Base
ball Assistant Coach Bob Yeuak.