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PAGE 10A PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS THURSDAY. JANUARY 21.2021
Clear, Pure Water. The way it should be.
Georgia Arborist Association Member
New year, new school board leadership
Finley elected chair; Gartrell vice-chair
Regular Board Meeting
Thurs, Jan, 21, 2021 @ 5:30 p.m.
Pickens County Board of Commissioners
Conference room, ste. 168
The Pickens County School Board after the first meeting of2021, held on Thursday, Jan. 14. (L-R) Now former Su
perintendent Dr. Rick Townsend; Vice-chair Tommy Gartrell; Steve Smith, Aaron Holland, Tucker Green, and Chair
Sue Finley.
By Angela Reinhardt
Staff Writer
areinhardt@pickensprogress.com
At the first Pickens Board
of Education meeting of the
year, Sue Finely, recently
sworn in for her second term,
was elected chair of the board
and Tommy Gartrell, begin
ning his first term, was
elected vice-chair.
Steve Smith nominated
Finley, with Gartrell second
ing that motion. Finley was
elected unanimously.
“I’m humbled and it is an
honor,” she said, later closing
the meeting with the com
ment, “I think we have a
good team. I’m looking for
ward to a really good year.”
Finley motioned to elect
board member Steve Smith
as vice-chair, but Gartrell,
who was nominated by board
member Tucker Green, took
three of the four votes cast.
Smith abstained from voting.
Finley voted for Smith.
Green had served as board
chair for the last two years.
Distance learning update
from superintendent
Speaking about the sys
tem’s recent move to distance
learning and COVID-19, Dr.
Rick Townsend, who was su
perintendent at the time of
the meeting (see page 1A
story regarding Townsend’s
position), said, “It’s not easy
on the kids, and we under
stand that. Anytime we make
a decision to go to distance
learning.. ..it’s always a
tough decision.”
Dr. Townsend touched on
possible school models for
the week of January 25th. It
was announced two weeks
ago that students would con
tinue distance learning at
least through January 22. Op
tions for that week of January
25 include but are not limited
to: continue distance learn
ing; return in-person with
more stringent requirements
such as required mask wear
ing; and a hybrid schedule
that would send only a por
tion of students back to
school based on the first let
ter of their last name to keep
the number of kids on cam
pus down.
“But it’s going to be based
on.. .indicators that we go
by,” Dr. Townsend said. “It’s
not something we just decide
overnight.”
The system consults with
healthcare professionals,
school leadership teams, and
others in the system prior to
making a decision. Among
many items they examine are
number of students and em
ployees absent, coverage for
absent employees to cover
classes/duties, positivity rate
in the community, commu
nity spread, social/emotional
impact of students, trans
portation function, nutrition
department function, etc.
“We have to look at, can
we operate safely and effec
tively and have that environ
ment conducive to learning?”
Dr. Townsend said. “First, of
course, is student and staff
safety.”
He also said that in light
of the irregular school year
created by COVID-19, dis
tance learning, and cancelled
school days, teachers and the
system as a whole have done
a good job prioritizing teach
ing standards, prioritizing
what the kids have to learn in
class, and what they have to
learn by the end of the year.
“When you look at it real
istically, we know that the
normal school year is 180
days and if they have less
days than that or they have
virtual school that’s going to
affect how much they learn
overall,” he said. “We’ve got
to prioritize...what’s really
important, what has to be
taught, and what remediation
services can we provide -
whether it’s during the school
day, whether it’s afterschool,
whether it’s during winter
break for at-risk kids,
whether it’s during summer.
We are looking at all these
options once we get these
kids back in the buildings
again.”
Parapros that were hired
last year will help catch up
students falling behind in
lower grades by working in
small groups.
“That’s very effective, es
pecially in those younger
grades, learning how to read,
learning those early skills of
math,” he said. “When you
work in those small groups
that’s when they begin to
soar.”
Transportation, food serv
ice hit hard by COVID
Pickens School Opera
tions Director Stacy Gille-
land reported transportation
and food service departments
have been seriously impacted
by COVID and related quar
antine measures.
Gilleland said in the trans
portation department there
are nine people out at this
time - five with COVID, four
with other medical issues,
and others being tested.
“Next week would have
been tough,” he said referring
to the ability to fully staff all
bus routes, “I’m glad we
went to virtual.”
The nutrition department
is “even worse,” he said.
In food service, there were
nine employees out and three
being tested at the time of his
report.
“This has hit these two de
partments really hard,” he
said. “I think we are doing
the right thing and I just
wanted to commend you on
that.”
He also commended the
Pickens School Nutrition Di
rector Beth Thompson and
her staff for going above and
beyond to feed students via
drop-off sites during distance
learning, including a new
evening drop off that was
held Tuesday, January 19.
“They’re working over
time to try to feed these
kids,” he said.
Other news from
the school board
• Rotary Club of Jasper
President Max Caylor and
Pickens Chamber of Com
merce Executive Director
Amberle Godfrey were rec
ognized for their efforts to
get the ESPLOST passed lo
cally. The Chamber and Ro
tary partnered to promote the
one-cent sales tax which will
fund a variety of projects for
the school system. Voters
passed the ESPLOST last
year.
•The board approved an
agreement with Pickens Ur
gent Care to provide mobile
diagnostic testing for
COVID-19 rapid and PCR
testing, Strep and flu testing,
and telemedicine using pri
mary pediatric care from a
physician or nurse at all
school campuses. Approval
of the agreement was contin
gent on approval from Pick
ens Urgent Care. Terms of
the agreement are for a one-
year period.
•The board approved an
agreement with Good Samar
itan Health & Wellness Cen
ter to place a pilot
school-based health clinic at
Pickens Junior High School
from January 2021 to Janu
ary 2022. Good Sam will
provide physical health and
dental service at that campus,
according to terms of the
agreement. Services will in
clude screenings, well child
exams, immunizations,
sports and job physicals,
acute care, chronic disease
management and referrals.
This agreement was contin
gent upon approval of the
Memorandum of Under
standing by Good Samaritan.
•The board approved five
additional hours a week for
school nurses who have been
working after hours on con
tact tracing COVID cases in
the school system, and noti
fying students/parents of
quarantine measures.
AGENDA:
I.
Call to order
II. Prayer
III. Pledge of Allegiance
IV. Amendments to Agenda
V. Employee Recognition
VI. Consent Agenda
VII. Old Business
VIII. New Business
A. Family Connection - Fiscal Agent
Designation
B. Georgia Power Agreement - Stegall Drive
C. Tax Commissioner Resolution and Letter of
Authorization
IX. Finance Report
X. Action Items
A. Approve Minutes
* Regular Meeting - December 17, 2020
* Public Hearing - December 17, 2020
* Work Session - January 7, 2021
* Called Meeting - January 7, 2021
B. Reappoint Lesa Thomason as County Clerk
C. Reappoint Karen Wheeler as Deputy
County Clerk
D Reappoint Phil Landrum as County Attorney
E. Appoint Vice Chairman for BOC for 2021
F. Resolution Reappointing Maurice (Toddy)
Hendrix and Harold Hensley to the Planning
Commission
G. Resolution Appointing Karen Benson to the
Planning Commission
H. Resolution Appointing John Luke Weaver to
the Industrial Development Authority
I. Resolution Reappointing W. A. (Red)
Meaders, Don Martin, Ron Barnes, Bart
Connelly and Bill Cagle to the Board of
Appeals
J. Resolution Reappointing Donna Enis, Jess
Walker and Brian Cleghorn to the
Recreation Board
K. Resolution Reappointing Ed Wood, Don
Boggus, Jerry Edwards and David Johnson
to the Airport Authority Board
L. Approve BOC Work Session and Meeting
Schedule for 2021
XI. Rezones
RZ-190038 Larry Ray, Four Mile Church Road,
Marble Hill, GA, Agricultural (AG) to Rural
Residential (RR) Parcel # 049-033, 11 Acres
XII. Guests/Comments
XIII. Adjourn
In addition to socially distance seating at the
meeting, please join the Board of Commissioners
meeting via Zoom. Details to join the meeting are
as follows: Board of Commissioners - Zoom Meet
ing (https://zoom.us/j/2105979001 ?pwd=cStJR-
jRvSIY0eHMyUVNENVVPdWdDZz09)
Meeting ID: 210 597 9001
Passcode: AQD1CW
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