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THE JACKSON HERALD
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2009
Child dies in drowning in West Jackson Jefferson BOE approves $18.2 million budget
GIBNEY-SHERMAN HONORED
Sherri Gibney-Sherman (L) was honored by the
Jefferson Board of Education at Thursday’s monthly
board meeting on her retirement from the school
system. John Jackson (R), superintendent, presented
Gibney-Sherman with a token of appreciation.
Photo by Sharon Hogan
A TWO-YEAR-OLD child
died on Tuesday, a day after he
fell in a pool.
Shortly after 8 a.m. on Monday,
Adrian Murphy, Pendergrass,
fell in a pool at a Skelton Road
residence in West Jackson.
Emergency workers were able to
JACKSON County,
in partnership with the
Georgia Department of
Natural Resources (DNR)
and the Federal Emergency
Management Agency
(FEMA), has completed
an enhanced Digital Flood
Insurance Rate Map (DFIRM)
and Flood Insurance Study
(FIS) for Jackson County and
all its municipalities includ
ing: Arcade, Commerce,
Hoschton, Jefferson,
Maysville, Nicholson,
Pendergrass, Talmo and
Braselton. This FIS includes
charts and a narrative report
at the PE. and fine arts
programs for kindergarten
ers that the school system
implemented several years
ago, Sanchez said.
The Jackson County School
System has already elimi
nated 38 teaching and non
teaching positions, through
a “Reduction in Force”
(R.I.F.) plan approved by the
board in March. The move
also closed the Regional
Evening School, furloughed
12-months employees for
five days, and suspended or
eliminated other programs.
Now, school officials won
der what will be the next
steps to reduce costs to cre
ate a balanced budget.
“When you look at a $2
million deficit, it would take
about 30 teachers to make up
that deficit,” Sanchez said. “I
don’t see that we can R.I.F.
30 teachers and still have an
educational program.”
Board chairperson Kathy
Wilbanks said other areas in
the school system can still
be cut since the board can’t
approve a budget that shows
a deficit.
In August, Gov. Sonny
Perdue proposed that all pub
lic schools impose a three-
day furlough for teachers.
All teachers and employ
ees in the Jackson County
School System will be
affected by the furloughs
— but there have been talks
that Perdue may seek addi-
get a pulse on the child.
The child was taken to
Northeast Georgia Medical
Center, Gainesville, and later
transferred to Children’s
Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish
Rite.
The Jackson County EMS,
of local flooding to be used
by permit officials for devel
opment in the floodplain.
The enhanced FIS and its
preliminary DFIRM will be
presented during an open
house for the public to be
held on Friday, September
18, from 11:30 a.m. - 1
p.m. in the Jury Assembly
Room at the Jackson County
Courthouse - 5000 General
Jackson Parkway, Jefferson.
During the open house, rep
resentatives from local gov
ernment, DNR and FEMA
will provide the most cur
rent information regarding
tional teacher furloughs this
budget year to trim costs.
An additional furlough
would not only save costs
for local school systems, but
it would also mean more
state revenue cuts to districts,
Sanchez said. The Jackson
County School System has
already figured the cost sav
ings and state revenue loss
with the existing three-day
furlough into its proposed
2010 budget.
“Furloughs are more of
a certainly right now,” said
superintendent Shannon
Adams. “That’s not to say
there won’t be another
Q.B.E. cut, I think the fur
loughs are just about a for
gone conclusion.”
Wilbanks said the board
must work this budget year
to trim costs — before things
get more difficult for the
2011 budget.
“The time to cut is to cut
now,” she said. “If we don’t,
we’re going to have to cut a
bunch next year.”
And while the board hasn’t
adopted the 2010 budget yet,
Sanchez reminded school
officials that it’s now time
to start working on the pro
posed 2011 budget.
“We’re about to get our
feet with one foot in one
canoe and one foot in the
other canoe,” he said.
Other Business
In other business, the
Jackson County Board of
Jackson Trail Rescue and the
Jackson County Sheriff’s Office
responded to the incident, which
remains under investigation by
the sheriff’s office.
Funeral arrangements will be
announced by Evans Funeral
Home, Jefferson.
Jackson County’s flood risk,
flood insurance, floodplain
development regulations,
floodplain mapping, and
timeline for DFIRM adop
tion. The enhanced county
wide floodplain maps will be
displayed.
Property owners, individ
uals living in or near the
100-year floodplain, realtors,
lenders, and insurance agents
may find this open house par
ticularly informative, leaders
state.
For information, contact
Joel Logan, GIS manager,
706-367-1877.
Education:
•held a closed-door session
for 20 minutes on Thursday
to discuss real estate. The
board took no action when
the meeting was opened to
the public.
•learned that the school
system will use federal
stimulus funds earmarked
for special education to pur
chase two new special edu
cation buses. One bus will
replace another bus that was
damaged last January, and
another will be a new bus to
the fleet.
•learned that the school
system collected $429,800
in Special Purpose Local
Option Sales Tax (SPLOST)
funds in August, which
superintendent Shannon
Adams said is an increase
from the previous month.
•learned that the cost of a
major construction project at
North Jackson Elementary
School was underestimated
by $130,000. Steve McCune
of Bowen and Watson said
he forgot to include the cost
of a new roof at the school,
which was estimated at
$130,000. The total cost of
the project is now estimated
at $1.08 million and will be
funded by sales tax funds.
The board agreed to give
Bowen and Watson a notice
to proceed on the project.
BY SHARON HOGAN
THE JEFFERSON Board of
Education approved a FY2010
budget of $18.2 million at its
meeting last Thursday.
The system used around
$497,600 in reserves to bal
ance the FY2010 budget. At
the end of FY2009, the sys
tem had around $788,000 in
reserves.
“We are still in a good
financial situation compared
to some school systems,” said
system financial officer Kim
Navas.
The system will have to
obtain a tax anticipation note
this fall, she said, until taxes
begin to come in later in the
year.
“This will cost a little, but
will be necessary,” Navas
said.
The BOE also recognized
Sherrie Gibney-Sherman
with a retirement celebration
on Thursday at the monthly
board meeting.
Gibney-Sherman served the
school system as associate
superintendent of instruction
for seven years.
Gibney-Sherman announced
her plans for retirement ear
lier this year. She had agreed
to stay on part-time to work
on the charter school applica
tion for the Jefferson school
system, but due to budget cuts
this project has been put on
hold.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business at
Thursday’s monthly meeting:
•the board approved spend
ing $12,000 to purchase
a 2008 Ford Taurus from
Jefferson Motor Company to
be used for driver’s education.
his grandson in a fit of rage
over a watermelon.
In court Monday, Clark had
a cast on his arm from injuries
he sustained in the shooting.
He was given the opportunity
to speak but did not give any
statement. He only answered
questions from Judge Booth,
acknowledging that it was his
decision to plead guilty and
that he understands the con
sequences.
THE FRIENDS of the
Braselton-West Jackson
Library is seeking pennies
for its “A Mile of Pennies
Adds Up For Our Library”
campaign to buy new books
Superintendent John Jackson
advised there has been no
word from the state on a grant
application to fund a driver’s
education car. “State money is
frozen,” Jackson said.
•Donna McMullan, associ
ate superintendent of instruc
tion, said a resolution would
be presented to the board for
approval at the October meet
ing to handle the Title 50 and
Title 20 waiver requests.
•the board approved the
sale of two copiers as surplus
items.
•the board unanimously
approved opening a bank
account with Northeast
Georgia Bank for Special
Purpose Local Option Sales
Tax (SPLOST) funds. The
funds will earn an estimat
ed $800 more per month by
making this change, Navas
reported.
Seven deputies and two bai
liffs were present during the
court proceedings, as well as
other court and law enforce
ment officials. Six family
members were also in court
but did not ask to speak during
the proceedings.
One family member did
abruptly leave the courtroom
as the proceedings ended and
yelled, “I hope you rot in
hell,” to Clark.
with the proceeds.
The nonprofit group is ask
ing patrons to donate their
•Jackson advised the school
system is required to notify
the state and the local health
department when absentee
ism reached 10 percent in the
system. Jackson reported the
highest system-wide has been
3.5 percent.
•the board approved sev
eral fundraising requests from
Jefferson Academy, Jefferson
Middle School and Jefferson
High School.
•Jackson asked all board
members to assemble in his
office at 5 p.m. on Monday,
Sept. 28, for the Georgia
School Boards Association
Legislative Inforum. “This
will be handled through a con
ference call,” Jackson said.
The next regularly sched
uled board meeting will be
held at 4 p.m. on Thursday,
Oct. 8, in the board room in
the performing arts center.
Correction
A story published last week
about Huber Engineered
Woods’ plans to seek a new
air emissions permit from
the Georgia Environmental
Protection Division contained
an error.
Among the changes Huber
seeks is to increase its emis
sions of carbon monoxide
from 237 tons per year to 333
tons per year. That’s a 40 per
cent increase.
unwanted pennies in the
Friends’ store, located in the
Braselton Library.
Miss Pretty In Pink Pageant
benefiting Susan G. Kbman for the Cure,
October 2009 -3PM
- rji Enti’y Fee ~ S75
\ : ' Task about the early bird k family discount)
Commence Cultural Center
Contact - Kristen Hill
706.296.6277
missprettvinpinkpa gea rsts @ ■ gm a 11 .com
LANDSCAPING & HORSE ARENAS
• RIVER SAND
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Mon. -Thurs. 10-6:30 • Fri. - Sat. 10-7
Flood risk information open house set Friday
Schools continued from page lA
Clark coni'd from page JA
WJ library group seeking unwanted pennies
Plan The Future Of OUR
Community Together!
Comprehensive Plan Town
Hall Meetings
Nicholson Community Center
Monday, September 28
7:00 p.m.
Commerce Civic Center
Tuesday, September 29
7:00 p.m.
k
Jackson 'County
Lifestyle. *
Opportunity.
Come and have your voice heard!
For questions call 706.367.5908 or
visit JacksonCountyGov.com
FALL GARDENING AT ACE!
40# Potting Soil
Pollinj So3
$-169
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3 Piece Aluminum Trowel Set
Save $ 5
Workshop:
Fall & Winter Container Gardening
With Instructor Fil Jesse
Saturday, September 19
10 am -12 noon
Call Braselton Store For Details.
Stihl Mini Tiller } V
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