New board members debut at Sept. meeting

The Cannon County Board of Education officially assumed general maintenance responsibilities for the football field house at Cannon County High School.

This was one of several items on a packed agenda for new board members Bruce Daniel and Nathan Sanders during their first meeting of the Cannon County Board of Education at Woodbury Grammar School Thursday.

Discussion regarding the football field house focused on fixing a faulty sewage pump initially. Director of Schools Barbara Parker told board members and citizens in the audience the pump was under warranty. The sewage problem at the field house had been fixed and the pump was being replaced at no cost, Parker said.

There could; however, be a service charge of $160.

The Board unanimously agreed to pay any service charges that may be charged. Parker then asked the Board for direction and

clarification as to the responsibility of the building. The Cannon County Board of Education insures the building and has paid utilities for the building since it was donated in 2008.

"There is nothing about the Board's responsibility or liability to that building in this contract and that's what I want cleared up," Parker said. "I think we need to clarify whose responsibility this is and who has what responsibilities. In the last three years our maintenance men have not been called out there. In fact, one told me he was told he was not needed out there."

Chairman Randy Gannon made a motion that the Board of Education be responsible for general maintenance on the building. It was seconded by Daniel and passed unanimously.

"Since our kids are in there we owe them to take care of the general maintenance," Gannon said.

Cannon County Head Football Coach Brent Bush also said the JR Lions, Cannon County's middle grades team, has moved into the facility.

In other business, the Board elected Gannon chairman and Chris Blackburn chairman pro tem.

Neal Appelbaum addressed the Board regarding the potential installation of solar roof panels at Woodbury Grammar School. The investor would lease the roof at WGS, paying $1,000 for 15 years. At the end of 15 years he would donate the panels to WGS. There are currently solar panels at the Cannon County Arts Center and on a residence on Parchcorn Hollow Road.

Gannon said he would like to talk to additional professionals in the field before making a decision. The item was tabled until the October meeting.

The Board also approved a list of complaint managers at each school. There is a male and female complain manager at each school. The Board also approved the K-through- fifth grade textbook committee.

The board gave approval for the report card update for grades Kindergarten 1st and 2nd grade. The update will reflect common core standards.

The board tabled approving the Cannon County High School Boys and Girls Basketball Trip to the San Destin Florida Shootout December 26th- 31st.

It approved the extended contract proposal that will award the schools $26,000 to be used toward student credit recovery, and the funding of counselors. The board approved the audit bid of $6,400 from John Poole. Poole will audit the books of the individual schools budgets. Poole comes highly recommended from the Trousdale and Macon County School Systems.

Director Parker discussed the Schools Strategic Plan - a one-year plan mandated by the State. Statistics showed that the greatest progress of the schools is in grades 3-8 math while the greatest challenge was in 7th grade reading and Math II.

The three strategies the schools will be implemented include the High Schools That Work and Literacy Coach which will be paid for by the Race To The Top Grant, Professional Learning communities and Formative Assessments. The Communities do not cost anything to form however the assessments will cost around $80,000. The funding will come from Title 1-A. Title 2 and Title 6.

Two schools made the focus list simply because there were gaps in subgroups in the two schools. To help close the gaps in the subgroups one of the schools, Short Mountain, applied for a Focus Grant in the amount of $100,000 which would be awarded for a two-year period. The other school, Woodbury Grammar School, applied for a grant in the amount of $200,000 each year for a two-year period. The schools are waiting word on which schools were awarded which grants.

There are 45 grants available statewide and over 100 schools applied.

Parker said the School System is in the third year of a four-year grant of a total of $380,000. The money is spent toward the high school. Elementary Schools have Title I monies. The grant money must be spent on the related strategic plan.

The Pease property transaction has been completed. The final purchase price was $30,244.

Two classrooms are still without air conditioning at the Woodbury Grammar School. Representatives from Trane and Director Parker are expected to meet Monday to discuss solutions.

The Cannon County HVAC unit project is complete. The original date of completion should have been on the first of September however the project was completed late and because it was after deadline, the School System will be looking into declaring damages at $100 each day after deadline.

The deadline on the Ag Pavilion Building Project is Oct. 1, however; the deadline won't be met. The building itself has been ordered but won't be in until November.

The Board moving the school parent-teacher conferences from Oct. 9 to Oct. 23.

The next board meeting workshop will be at the Central Office on Oct. 9 at 6 p.m. The next regular board meeting will be Oct. 11 at 6 p.m. at WGS.