About The Islander. (St. Simons Island, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (July 27, 2020)
Page 4, July 27, 2020, The Islander Publisher's Statement THE ISLANDER (USPS 002430), A member of the Georgia Press Associa tion and Glynn County’s only weekly newspa- per is published 51 weeks a year for $35 per year in Glynn County and $40 per year in the United States outside Glynn Comity by Permar Pub lications, Inc., 1604 B Newcastle Street, Brunswick, GA 31525. Periodicals post age paid at Brunswick, GA. The Island er is also available to subscribers online at www.theislanderonline.com. Contents of The Islander, including advertising, may not he reprinted or re produced in any form without written permission of the publishers. POST MASTER send address change to The Islander, P.O. Box 20539, St. Simons Island, GA 31522. Publication Deadline Publication Date: Every Monday Deadline: Thursdays, 12 PM for ads and news copy for the following Mon day’s edition. Holiday Schedule On Monday Post Office holidays, The Islander is printed on the Friday before. 2020 Postal Holidays January 1 Wednesday New Year’s Day January 20 Monday Martin Luther King Jr. birthday February 17 Monday Washington’s birthday May 25 Monday Memorial Day July 3 Friday Independence Day’ 1 ’ September 7 Monday Labor Day October 12 Monday Columbus Day November 11 Wednesday Veterans’ Day November 26 Thursday Thanksgiving Day December 25 Friday Christmas Day Holiday Deadline: Wednesdays, 12 PM for ads and news copy for the following Monday’s edition. Mission Statement: to publish the truth without fear or favor. Established 1972 Matthew J. Permar - Publisher Elise J. Permar - Publisher 1972-2003 Gertrude Bradshaw - Co-Editor 1972-1991 Managing Editor & Advertising Manager Pamela P. Shierling 912-265-9654 Sports Writer Dave Jordan Pew News Patty Gibson - 912-638-8844 Contributors Ginny Johnson Phone Number 912-265-9654 email: ssislander@bellsouth.net www.theislanderonline.com Award Winning Newspaper 1975 1980 1985 • 1976 19811992 1977 1982 1999 1978 1983 2002 1979 1984 2008 2012, 2016 School start date Continued from Page 1 more time testing than they will lose from the seven days start date change.” Those days will be used for teacher training, Spence said. Another change is that election day, November 3, will be a teacher work day not a school day. Spence felt that it would be a heavy election turn out this year and several schools are still used as polling places and some schools are close to polling precincts. C.B. Greer, Golden Isles College and Career Academy, Satilla Marsh, and Sterling Elementary are still used as voting precincts. Board member John Madala pushed for mandatory masks for stu dents but without any disciplinary follow through. Spence said masks would be strongly recommended, “But if you mandate masks, you had better be ready to follow through.” Spence said that staff and the administration would be wearing masks and encouraging students to wear them. “I get more emails in favor of no masks than I get in favor of wearing masks,” Spence said. “We are getting 30,000 masks from the state,” Spence continued. “We are giving 15,000 to the schools and 15,000 to our bus drivers.” “The drivers will give the masks to the kids getting on the busses since they can’t social distance on a bus,” he said. The school system is working very closely with Dr. Lawton Davis, Direc tor of the Coastal Health District. “We are trying to develop a ‘what- if rubric,” Spence said. “If this hap pens then this is what we do. Dr. Da vis is helping us and providing daily guidance.” Dr. Davis helped the school system decide on how to handle band during COVID: masks worn inside and no music inside; horns may be played outside only and students must be 30 feet apart. The system is also looking for ways to have fine arts in school this fall. Right now the system is thinking terms of holding a drive by open house for PreK and kindergarten then a vir tual tour of the school. Elementary, middle school and high school will conduct virtual open houses. About 2,600 students / parents have opted for virtual school this fall. This includes about 750 high school students. Spence reminded the board that it would be different from the virtual school held this past spring. More will be demanded of those choosing virtual school this fall than was required during the spring. “It will be harder,” Spence said. Board member Mike Hulsey com mented that Spence needed to say no to those changing their minds after school starts and wanting to come back to the classroom. System CFO Andrea Preston had good fiscal year 2021 budget news for the board. The final tax digest shows a 5.48% increase which translates to a $3.1 million increase in revenues to the school system. This brings the budget from a $1.3 million deficit to a $1.1 million bot tom line gain and a cash position at the end of fiscal year 2021 of $13.1 million. The board has not approved the fis cal year 2021 budget but is expected to do so at the August meeting. The millage rate has not been set for FY 2021. It will remain at the cur rent 16.157, however the roll back millage rate is 15.982. Board member Eaddy Sams com mented that the millage rate should be kept at 16.157 mils to give the sys tem some cushion. Leaf<j?FiIter J GU PR' NO MORE GUTTER CLEANING, OR YOUR MONEY BACK GUARANTEED! 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