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THE JACKSON HERALD
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2010
School system still working on deal with EPA
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
THE JACKSON County
School System is still nego
tiating with other groups on
a cleanup cost for a deadly
explosion at Sikes Oil Service
in Arcade, according to super
intendent Shannon Adams.
The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA)
named the school system as
one of 68 “partially respon
sible parties” for the cleanup
after a 2005 explosion, which
killed one person. Those
groups have been negotiating
a deal for the cleanup.
The school system, which
had used Sikes Oil over a
three-year period, is respon
sible for about 1,295 gallons
it took to the facility.
The parties want to pay $2 a
gallon for the cleanup, but the
EPA favors charging $2.95
per a gallon. Adams told the
board of education on Dec. 9
The negotiations are con
tinuing, he added.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business during its
meetings on Dec. 9 and Dec.
13, the Jackson County Board
of Education:
•met in a closed-door meet
ing on Thursday, Dec. 9, for
30 minutes to discuss per
sonnel. The board took no
action when the meeting was
opened to the public.
•decided to cancel its work
session meeting in January
and hold a combined work
session and regular monthly
meeting on Monday. Jan. 10.
at 6 p.m. The work session
initially planned for Thursday.
Jan. 6 is scheduled two days
after students and staff return
from winter holiday break.
Adams said that wouldn't be
enough time to prepare for
the work session meeting.
•learned that the school
system took a total of $3.7
million of a $11.5 million Tax
Anticipation Note (TAN). The
district has already paid back
the short-term loan, which
was approved in July. The
school system paid $3,795 in
interest. The deadline to pay
off the TAN was Dec. 31.
•learned that for the latest
Special Purpose Local Option
Sales Tax (SPLOST) collec
tion in October, the school
system collected $413,000
— compared to $436,000 in
September. In October 2009.
the district got $408,580.
•heard a report from its
auditor on its annual SPLOST
performance. The audit,
which was conducted for the
2010 fiscal year, found that
the school system was using
sale tax revenue as required.
For the 2010 fiscal year, the
district spent $2 million of
SPLOST funds on debt pay
ments. furniture and equip
ment, new construction and
renovations, and technology
upgrades.
•learned that revenue for
the 2011 fiscal year has so
far total 22 percent of bud
geted funds, while expenses
have reached 33 percent.
Superintendent Adams said
revenue will pick, as Jackson
County begins receiving
more property tax revenue in
December.
•approved a policy address
ing seclusion or restraint of
students to remain on the
table for 30 days. The policy
change, which is a state man
date, comes in response to
two lawsuits in Georgia after
students were restrained or
put in seclusion. All school
systems in the stare are
required to adopt the policy,
which would affect all stu
dents and not just those in
special education. The poli
cy outlines how to properly
physically restrain students
using another person’s body,
but without laying the stu
dent on the ground. All inci
dents must be documented,
parents must be notified of an
incident and the school staff
must be trained in the proce
dures. Each school has a “cri
sis team” to handle incidents.
The policy, however, doesn’t
apply to law enforcement or
medical personnel called to
schools.
•approved a resolution to
seek a waiver with the state
department of education on
the district’s minimum direct
classroom expenditures for
the 2010-2011 school year.
The rule requires school sys
tems to use at least 65 per
cent of their budget on direct
classroom expenditures.
The Jackson County School
System is seeking a waiver
from that policy to offset any
potential budget shortfalls.
The district has previously
been approved for the waiver
and another waiver would
give the school system some
financial flexibility, accord
ing to Adams.
•approved a policy requir
ing the school system to
report its intangible assets,
such as development of soft
ware. trademarks and rights-
of-way that are valued above
a certain dollar amount.
The Jackson County School
System doesn’t have any
intangible assets that meet
the thresholds. The policy is
mandated by the state.
•approved a policy change
for competitive interscholastic
activities for grades 6-8 that
removes “IP” (In-Progress)
as a notation on report cards.
The school system has revised
its report cards and no longer
includes “IP”
•approved continuing to
hold BOE meetings with its
monthly work session at 6
p.m. on the Thursday prior to
the second Monday of each
month, and the regular board
meeting at 6 p.m. on the sec
ond Monday of each month.
All work sessions and regular
meetings will be held in room
B-16 at the Gordon Street
Center, Jefferson.
BOE gives superintendent
‘satisfactory’ review
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
SUPERINTENDENT Shannon Adams will remain at the
helm of the Jackson County School System for at least another
year.
The Jackson County Board of
Education decided Thursday to keep
Adams’ existing contract, which will
have another year left after June 30,2011.
Then, the board — which will include
two new members — will have a say in
Adams’ employment when it reviews his
annual evaluation in December 2011.
Adams, who has been in education for
28 years and superintendent of the dis
trict for four years, said he doesn’t plan
to retire soon.
“Not for the next two or three years, I hope,” he said when
asked after the meeting.
The board’s decision came after it met for an hour and 15
minutes in a closed-door meeting on Thursday to continue
discussion of Adams’ evaluation. Earlier in the week, the board
spent a total of two hours and 10 minutes reviewing the super
intendent’s evaluation — then decided to hold another closed-
door meeting on Thursday on the matter.
Like the previous year’s evaluation, board chairperson Kathy
Wilbanks said the group gave Adams a “satisfactory” rating,
but discussed a “couple of areas for improvement.”
A plan has been established to address those improvements,
but Wilbanks declined to discuss those specific details.
And like other employees in the Jackson County School
System, Adams won’t get a pay raise — for the third year in a
row. according to Wilbanks.
“That’s mainly because of the budget situation,” she said.
“We don’t know what kind of cuts are coming down the
road.”
The Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts reported
that Adams earned $164,700 during the 2010 fiscal year, which
ended on June 30.
During its review of Adams’ performance in December
2009, the BOE didn’t extend his three-year contract beyond
the existing term. The contract will expire on June 30, 2012,
according to Wilbanks.
School board approves
personnel changes
THE JACKSON County
Board of Education approved
the following personnel changes
during its meeting on Monday.
Dec. 13.
NEW HIRES
Laura DeBacker. eighth
grade teacher. WJMS; Leshon
Dempsey, ISS teacher, WJMS;
Dayna Gunter, special educa
tion teacher, WJMS; Michelle
Reynolds, bus driver, BES;
Destiny Teply, school social
worker, system; and Natalie
Shirley, fourth grade teacher.
MES (Tide I funded).
TRANSFERS
Jenna Banks, special educa
tion teacher, EJCHS (50 per
cent to 100 percent); Glenda
Campbell, bookkeeper, EJCHS
to payroll clerk, central office;
Celeste Cox. bookkeeper.
KBMS to EJCHS; and Sandra
Fountain, paraprofessional,
KBMS to bookkeeper, KBMS.
RESIGNATIONS
Robert Johnson, bus driver,
BES (effective Nov. 15, 2010);
Debbie May, special educa
tion teacher, EJCHS (effective
Dec. 16, 2010); Lisa Robinson,
eighth grade teacher, WJMS
(effective Dec. 3, 2010); Tracy
Saxton, food service cashier,
MES (effective Dec. 2, 2010);
and Ashley Wright, band direc
tor, EJCHS/EJMS (effective
Nov. 19, 2010).
RETIREMENTS
Jan McCord-Burgess, spe
cial education teacher. WJMS
(effective Dec. 1, 2010); and
Wanda Oliver, school nutrition
director, system-wide (effective
June 30,2011).
Fire district runoff set Tues.
A RUNOFF election for the
Arcade Fire Board affecting the
Redstone and South Jefferson
voting precincts will be held on
Tuesday, Dec. 28. The candi
dates will be Travis J. Bennett
and Deborah Stewart.
This runoff will be only for
people living in the Arcade fire
district at these two precincts.
For instance, residents who live
in the Jefferson fire district and
vote at the South Jefferson pre
cinct will not be allowed to vote.
Probate Court cutting hours
DUE TO A reduction in staff
made by the Jackson County
Board of Commissioners, the
Probate Court will begin clos
ing the office during lunch from
12 p.m. until 1 p.m. each day,
beginning on Jan. 3, 2011. This
will allow the staff to take a
full lunch hour as prescribed
by law.
County’s communication system upgrades approved
BYANGELA GARY
THE COUNTY’S emergency
and public safety communica
tion system will be upgraded
soon with nine new radio tow
ers being placed throughout the
county.
The Jackson County Board of
Commissioners agreed Monday
night to place towers in Braselton,
Maysville and Nicholson and
other unincorporated areas of
the county. The BOC approved
agreements with the Jackson
County Board of Education,
the Town of Braselton, the City
of Maysville, the Nicholson
Water Authority and the Jackson
County Water and Sewerage
Authority to place the towers.
The BOC also approved agree
ments to place towers on prop
erty owned by Georgia Power
Company. The SBA Properties
and American Tower Company.
OTHER ACTION
In other action at the meet
ing Monday night, the BOC
approved the following:
•2011 alcohol license renew
als. Twelve businesses in unin
corporated Jackson County have
alcohol licenses.
•a boat ramp sidewalk and
deck addition at Bear Creek
Reservoir. Recreation director
Ricky Sanders spoke at an ear
lier meeting on safety concerns
because of the lack of a side
walk at the boat ramp. The total
cost for Jackson County will be
$5,800.
•authorizing the finance
director to close several bank
accounts that have zero balance
and are no longer used.
•an annual cost-sharing
intergovernmental agreement
between Jackson and Barrow
counties to continue to provide
juvenile court services.
•authorizing the chairman and
finance director to execute the
sales agreements and lease/pur
chase documents to allow the
West Jackson and South Jackson
fire departments to get new fire
trucks.
•the implementation of a veg
etative management program
along 200 miles of county road
way.
•a contract with Valley
Services Inc. to provide food
services at the county correc
tional institute.
•an ordinance related to replac
ing existing ordinances address
ing the standards for outdoor
watering of landscapes.
•appointing Len Bemat. pur
chasing manager, to serve as
a point of contact between the
BOC and the Association County
Commissioners of Georgia.
•the annual agreement with
the Northeast Georgia Regional
Commission related to senior
center services offered in the
county.
Public building authority appointments approved
BYBENMUNRO
JEFFERSON CITY leaders
approved three appointments to
the city’s public building author
ity and made one replacement
Monday.
Chris Randolph (District
3), Gus Backelant (District 4)
and Joe Kelly (District 5) were
all OK’d by the city council.
Additionally. Malcome Gramley
was approved to fill the unex
pired term of the late Julius
Mason in District 2. Gramley
was nominated by mayor Jim
Joiner.
John Blackstock is in the
middle of his term for District
1.
In other business conducted
Monday, the council:
•approved a Georgia
Municipalities Association
(GMA) lease agreement for a
police car.
•OK’d an ordinance amend
ment to revise the standards for
outdoor watering of landscape.
Jackson County’s 84th New Year’s Day program planned
THE 84TH annual Jackson County New
Year’s Day Program will be held at 9
a.m. on Saturday, January 1, in the audito
rium of the Jackson County Administrative
Building.
The first such New Year’s Day Program
was held in 1927, with Judge W.W. Dickson
presiding.
This year, pastor Jack Lawson of Jackson
County Baptist Church will be the featured
speaker. Mary Burley will sing “God Bless
America.” Magistrate Court Judge Billy
Chandler will introduce county officials and
guests. Tax Commissioner Don Elrod will
introduce the speaker. TeenPact, a Jackson
County organization dedicated to preparing
students for business and political leader
ship, will again host the event and provide
coffee and doughnuts.
While the Historic Jackson County
Courthouse is being renovated, the event
will continue to be held in the County
Administrative Building. All are invited to
attend the program.
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