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PAGE 14A PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS THURSDAY. APRIL 21.2022
From school board
Board funds $2,000 bonuses for employees not eligible
for state payment; stadium bleacher facelift; Final Four
By Angela Reinhardt
Staff Writer
areinhardt@piekensprogress.com
The school board voted to
fund one-time supplemental/
retention payments for ap
proximately 111 Pickens
school system employees not
included in supplemental
payments approved by Gov.
Brian Kemp.
Georgia House Bill 910,
signed by Kemp on March 17
provides a $2,000 one-time
payment for full and part-
time educators, nurses, custo
dians, bus drivers, nutrition
workers, and central and
school level administration
employed as of March 16,
2022, according to a docu
ment read by Superintendent
Tony Young at the school
board meeting April 14.
Some employees slipped
through the cracks of that HB
910 funding.
‘‘[I] would like to expand
the scope and depth of the ap
proved supplemental pay
plan by using Elementary
and Secondary School Emer
gency Relief Fund II Coron-
avirus Response and Relief
Supplemental Appropriations
Act (ESSER-CRRSA Act)
funds and local funds in an
effort to retain certified, non-
certified, and contracted
staff,” Young read.
In a later interview, Pick
ens Schools Chief Finance
Officer Amy Smith said posi
tions that did not receive state
funding through HB 910
were “scattered” in different
areas across the system, in
cluding some clerical, central
office, maintenance, and oth
ers.
In total, 471 school sys
tem employees are eligible
for those one-time $2,000
payment through HB910 ap
propriation funding; 111 will
be funded through ESSER-
CRRSA; and 78 employees
The PHS Nettes were recognized for their incredible season, which culminated in the team competing in the Final Four. Coach Brandon Thomas
said it’s easy to coach players of this caliber, and that they are all thankfulfor support from the community, schools, and administration. “Thankfulness
is my word to describe being able to coach young ladies like this, ” he said. He noted that the team tied for longest winning streak in the school’s history
at 21 wins. The team also set a record for least amount ofpoints allowed in a game.
Pictured L-R: Coach Jordan Shaw, Mgr- Addison Lewis,
Bella Hopkins, Amanda Nelson, Adrienne Plumley, Madi
son Powell, Brylee Deering, Emery Steinhauer, Ashaela
Buchanan, and Head Coach Brandon Thomas. Not Pic
tured: Abby Plumley, Carmyn Mullins, Caroline Mullins,
Emery Bryant, Emma Gleason, Emmie Moore, Jazmine
Chastain, Coach Cana Lutz.
Clear, Pure Water. The way it should be.
will receive those payments
through local funding.
Supplemental pay will be
paid as early as May 2022,
but must be disbursed by
June 30, 2022.
In other news from
the school board:
•Chief Operations Direc
tor Stacy Gilleland reported
PHS’ football bleachers have
been cleaned and caulked,
with the final coating appli
cation underway. Gilleland
showed photos of the bleach
ers before, which were dirty
with black and grey stains
that covered nearly the entire
surface. After photos showed
significant improvement.
•SPLOST collections re
ceived by the schools in
March were $616,075. This
is up from collections re
ceived in February of
$593,566.
•Gilleland also reported
that they are preparing for
state bus inspections, and
commented on the impres
sive condition of the Pickens
school system fleet. He also
noted that the system is in
need of bus drivers and mon
itors, as well as school nutri
tion staff.
•School Lunch Hero Day
May 6. The first Friday in
May is set aside to honor all
employees responsible for
providing lunches (and food)
to millions of children across
America. Through March 31
of this year, the Pickens
schools nutrition team has
served 645,511 meals. The
board asks people to “show
some love to your School
Lunch Hero’s on May 6.”
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