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PAGE 10A - THE COMMERCE (GA) NEWS. WEDNESDAY. MAY 14. 2008
Visit The State Capitol
East Jackson Middle School eighth graders
are pictured with Rep. Tommy Benton during a
visit to the state capitol recently. Left to right are
(front) Breesa Crocker, Joy Smith, Garrett Lott,
Nelson Merlos,Will Daniel, Nikki Sanders, Jasmin
Carranza, Skyler Cozzens, Alicia Wiggins, Raya
Love, Parker Craven, Darianne Starcher, Benton,
(second row)ZackSwaim,Vivian Simpson,Shelby
Minish, Rachel Richards, Joanie Ferguson, Lacey
Pirtle, Katrina Walker, James Gray, Kenny Taylor,
Amy Johnson, (third row) Tori Waddell, Casandra
Duncan, Yuliya Petresku, Cody Alford, Ashley
Diggs, Josh Brewer, Devin Castle, Edward Stone,
(back row) Brayson Mitchell, Caleb Hardy, Zack
Elrod, Lance Haley, Jonathon Beserman, Clayton
Kesler, Dusty Allen, Will Daniel and Jake Grizzle.
Visit The State Capitol
East Jackson Middle School eighth graders
are pictured with Gov. Sonny Perdue and Rep.
Tommy Benton during a visit to the state capitol
recently. Left to right are (front) Mike Wingfield,
Zac Farmer, Will Sanders, Chris Veal, Trent Carter,
Jessica Parkerson, Perdue, Bryan Banks, Dalton
Hart, Mariah Baird, Kristian Albright, Aaron
Prather, Benton, (second row) Dakota Williams,
Stuart Robinett, Judy Loggins, Kelly Thomason,
Jamie Beauchamp, Sherying Ly, Rachel Cotton,
Mariah Floyd, Ryan Degonia, Kacey Landress,
D.J. Barker, Melanie Lawhorn, (third row) Justin
Mejias, Wayne Johnson, Corey Carter, Sammy
Tush, Jameshia Knox, Taylor Randall, Caleb
Maxwell, Malike Dubose, Hannah Watkins, (fourth
row) Gary Elliot, Karla Dodd, Jonah Craymer,
Alissa Singleton, Goldie Thao, Isaac Wood, CJ
Allen, Cole Martin, Jessica Jones, Thor Kinney,
(back row) Warren Tolbert, Lynne Murray, Haley
Simmons, Katie Bennett, Tyler Collins, Cody
Adams and Kyle Smith.
Jackson School Board Postpones
Change In Public Comment Policy
By Kerri Testement
The Jackson County Board of
Education’s plans to change its
policy on public comment at
board meetings would limit free
speech, according to one parent.
Redd Howe told the board
Monday about his concerns for
the revised public participation
policy for BOE meetings.
One of the changes Howe
objected to centers on limiting
the public comment portion of
the board meeting to a total of 30
minutes. Howe said more issues
could be addressed if the public
comment portion isn’t limited.
“You’re limiting free speech,’’
said Howe, who has spoken to
the board on various issues in
recent months.
Chairperson Kathy Wilbanks
said she has served on the board
for 10 years and she couldn’t
remember a time when so many
issues needed to be addressed at
one meeting.
Howe also took issue with a
change that states the board will
not respond to comments or
questions by citizens in their pre
sentations. Within five business
days of the meeting, the superin
tendent will respond on behalf of
the board.
“That’s wrong,’’ Howe said.
“That’s not the kind of school
board we want.’’
Wilbanks said the board is
streamlining its policies to con
duct more official business at
meetings. The board will continue
to talk to citizens and answer
concerns sent to the board office,
she added.
At Howe’s request, the board
decided to postpone a vote on the
proposed changes for a month.
The BOE also tabled the same
policies last month.
Other Business
In other business, the Jackson
County BOE:
•met in a closed-door session
for 30 minutes Thursday night to
discuss litigation. The board took
no action when the meeting was
opened to the public.
•approved the refinancing of
the 1998 bonds and adopted a
2008 bond resolution.
• approved a salary schedule for
certified and classified employees
for next school year. The sched
ule includes a 2.5 percent pay
increase for all employees.
•heard from superintendent
Shannon Adams on the budget
process. Adams said he and sev
eral top administrators at the cen
tral office met with school princi
pals on the budget crunch. “We
gave a very frank, honest look
at the situation,’’ Adams said. He
added that principals are willing
to trim their budgets. An initial
budget proposed for next school
year includes an estimated $1.9
million deficit.
• heard from Jeff Sanchez, assis
tant superintendent for finance
and information services, on the
budget process. Sanchez said he
is “fine tuning’’ the final personnel
roster for the schools.
•heard from Adams, who said
sales tax revenue rose last month
to $477,000. The school system
collected $426,000 in Special
Purpose Local Option Sales Tax
(SPLOST) funds in January, he
said.
•learned that the ribbon cut
ting ceremony for the new Gum
Springs Elementary School will
be held Sunday, Aug. 3, at 3 p.m. A
construction “punch list’’ is about
70 percent complete. The school
also received a temporary, 30-day
certificate of occupancy. The
landscaping is done and furniture
is being moved into the building
this week.
•learned that the Georgia
Partnership for Excellence in
Education will make a stop at
East Jackson Elementary School
around Oct. 28. The tour includes
70 business, government and
community leaders through
out the state. Principal Jennifer
Norris said the school was select
ed for the tour based on student
achievement.
•heard from Ricky Sanders,
director of the Jackson
County Parks and Recreation
Department, who thanked the
school board for participating in
a joint agreement to share facili
ties and maintenance. Sanders
provided a list of changes made
to facilities at the schools for rec
reation programs. Sanders said
the JCPR cuts more than 30 acres
of grass a week at 27 fields at the
schools. The elementary school
gyms hosted more than 1,500
practices and 432 games during
the school year.
• heard from Joann Zupsic, who
will be the principal of the Gordon
Street Center next school year.
Zupsic presented several pos
sible changes for the alternative
school, including a new schedule
and “levels’’ to reward students for
good behavior.
•heard from Jeanette Finch,
who asked for a hardship review
of the school zone attendance
policy for her five grandchildren.
•heard from Walter Barnett,
whose wife works in the food
service department at Benton
Elementary School. Barnett asked
the board to review a retirement
contribution policy for food ser
vice employees.
• learned that the annual school
council reports for each school are
available on the board’s eBoard
website under the “Documents’’
page. School councils are required
to submit an annual report to the
BOE each year. Keith Everson,
assistant superintendent for
human resources and support
services, said he will provide rec
ommendations to the board on
the school council’s recommen
dations at a later date.
• approved revised job descrip
tions for elementary, middle and
high school counselors.
• recognized the local winners of
the Georgia Young Authors con
test, the system-wide spelling bee,
and athletes from East Jackson
Comprehensive High School and
Jackson County Comprehensive
High School.
• approved items for surplus to
be sold or disposed.
•learned that East Jackson
Elementary School had the high
est attendance last month.
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Visit The State Capitol
East Jackson Middle School eighth graders are
pictured with Rep. Tommy Benton during a visit
to the state capitol recently. Left to right are (front)
teacher Patton Davis, Benton, (second row) Haley
Ray, Meghan Foley, Samantha Newberry, Hector
Vaca, Jessica Love, (third row) Kelli Blalock,
Newt Gillman, Courtney Franklin, teacher Julie
Crow, Catherine White, (fourth row) Cassie Vang,
Santana Davis, Kelsey Thomas, Breanna Watson,
Aaron Elliot, Katie Cooke, Brittany Wormley, (fifth
row) Sarah Higgins, Hannah Jackson, Bobbie
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ON-SITE INTERVIEWS
May 20-2 p.m. - 5 p.m. - Franklin Springs City Hall
If unable to attend go to www.mcgeorgia.com/10789 and submit application.
The Tri-County Right to Life group has announced the winners
of its oratory contest. Left to right are Katie Christina Patterson,
Jefferson, first place; Victoria Neisler, Commerce, third; Mara
Hardy, Commerce, second; and Stephanie Guzman, Athens.
Patterson, who won a $200 cash prize, will compete in the state
contest later this month.
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