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By Fred Guarino
The Lowndes Signal
The Lowndes County Board of Education reelected Ben Davis and Steve Foster as board president and vice president Thursday night and received the proposed scholastic calendar.
Davis has served on the board for 26 years said, “Thank you board members for feeling good enough to allow me to serve another year, I really do appreciate the opportunity even though I said I was hoping that someone would nominate someone else. But since you did not and you said Ben Davis again I will do all I can for the children of Lowndes County.”
Foster, who has served on the Lowndes County Board of Education for 23 years said, “its an honor,” when he was reelected vice president.
Lowndes County School Superintendent Dr. Daniel Boyd presented the proposed scholastic calendar for review, which calls for classes to begin on Aug. 4 and end May 19 with a full week off Thanksgiving for students and all employees except for 12-month personnel.
Boyd said the winter break will be for two weeks including Christmas and New Year’s. And he said there are two professional development days built into the calendar.
Boyd also present a security policy for review by the board regarding data and adult sex offenders.
In his report to the board Boyd said 30 college credits were earned by students over the past school year in the welding program offered through Wallace Community College. He said there are currently 63 students taking the class.
He said in the dual enrollment program between Lowndes County Public Schools and post secondary institution for students in grades 9-12 there are nine students at Central High and nine students at Calhoun High taking college courses through the distant learning program.
Boyd said, “When these students graduate high school, they will have college credit to go toward their college degree.”
He pointed out that 20 students from Central High recently participated in and placed first the 4-H National Youth Science Day competition at Tuskegee University for a deeper understanding of physics through hands on activities.
Boyd said the activity dealt with space and time and Central High students won first place for answering questions and demonstrating that they had a good understanding of the relationship with reaction time when cars crash.
Boyd said the Central Elementary Cafeteria is being upgraded with new ceiling tile, more efficient light fixtures and replaced exterior doors and hardware so students can exit safely in the event of an emergency.
He also said tables and chairs will be replaced with the old tables and chairs to be auctioned.
Boyd said four trailers at the bus shop will be replaced with a metal building. He said work is in the planning phase of project with Alabama Steel. He said, “For all practical purposes this project will be complete by the end of January.”
He said the after school program is being funded by Fort Deposit Elementary and Lowndes County Middle School with Stacy H. Williams and Bernard Mitchell seeing the project through. He said the program “provides valuable tutoring services to our students.”
Boyd shared a copy of the first edition of the school board’s quarterly newsletter with board members, which recognition of Adrienne Boykin, a third grade teacher at Jackson Steele Elementary.
Renata Hollins, president of the Lowndes County Education Association, said Nov. 16-20 is American Education Week and said that everyone was asked celebrate the school system support staff on Nov. 18, which was this past Wednesday.
Under action items, the boar approved:
•Contracts with the Central Alabama Basketball Officials Association Inc. for 2015-16 home basketball games at Central High, Hayneville Middle and Lowndes County Middle School; with Analie Carr for tutoring services for select personnel Paulette Moncrief for mentor coaching for select Head Start teaches; Kim Rainey for Head Start governance training; and Alabama Steel Supply Inc. for construction of a maintenance building.
•A Title I, Part A Local Education Agency (LEA) Plan.
•An LEA Parental Involvement Plan.
•An LEA Homeless Plan.
•A Comprehensive English Learner District Plan.
•A 2015-16 Alabama Continuous Improvement Plan (AC!P) for Calhoun High, Central Elementary, Central High, Fort Deposit Elementary, Hayneville Middle, Jackson-Steele Elementary and Lowndes County Middle School
•Eligibility priority criteria for the Head Start Program.
•A 2015-16 salary schedule for Head Start employees.
*The September 2015 financial statement, profit and loss detail report and check detail report for the Lowndes County Head Start Program.
•The revenue and expenditures report, financial statement and payroll register for September 2015 based on reconciled bank statements.
•The personnel report.
The next meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Dec. 10 at the Central Office.