School board action delayed

By TONY STINNETT/Courier Sports Editor
Members of the Cannon County Board of Education took no action on budget revisions for the 2013-14 year during the monthly meeting of the group at Woodbury Grammar School Thursday (Aug. 8).

The meeting was recessed until Thursday (Aug. 15) at the Central Office pending the outcome of the County Commissioner's meeting Tuesday (Aug. 13), when the commissioners are expected to vote on a 5 cent tax increase.

"I don't believe we need to change our budget at this time because if the 5 cent tax increase is voted in then the budget we turned in meets the guidelines," Cannon County Director of Schools Barbara Parker told the board members. "If the 5 cent tax increase does not stand then we would have to come back and revise our budget."
The Board of Education also approved revisions to Attendance Policy 6.200.

The changes were mini-mal and some already existed but were not in the attendance policy. Changes included new guidelines that are currently followed for attendance hearings; visitation time for parents who are deployed into active military service; end of course exams count 25 percent of the final semester average and if a student misses the exam how it will be handled; and, under driver's license revocation, to make sure it is in compliance with state law in regard to unexcused absences and/or failure to pass at least three core subjects.
Chris Blackburn made the motion to approve the revisions, and Nathan Sanders seconded. The motion passed unanimously.

Board members rejected the transfer request of Joshua and Laura Leath by a 3-2 margin. The Leath's children attended West Side but the family has moved into the Woodbury Grammar zone. Because of a situation that occurred outside of school between a boy who attends WGS and one of the Leath's children, they were asking that their three children in grades first, fifth and eighth remain at West Side.

Joshua Leath told board members the family is currently building a home in Warren County.

"When our house is completed we will be moving to Warren County," Leath said. "We are asking that our children be allowed to attend West Side until we are able to move into Warren County. It would be temporary but we don't want (our children) attending Woodbury Grammar and seeing that boy."

Roy Parker made the motion to approve, which was seconded by Bruce Daniel. It failed 3-2 with Chairman Randy Gannon, Blackburn and Sanders voting no.

"We have had several requests from families and we have followed our Board policy," said Gannon, breaking a 2-2 deadlock. "I am going to have to follow Board policy. I'm sorry but my vote is no. The request is denied."

The Board approved a middle grades cross country team. It will be treated as a club team and will not fall under TMSAA guidelines. Brian Eldrod will serve as the head coach and Marc Larson will assist. All funds will run through the high school cross country team's account at CCHS.

The Board also approved Ron Graham doing an energy savings plan through a $10,000 grant at no cost to the school system.

Gannon made a motion that the Georgetown Estates and Pelham Road areas be zoned Woodbury Grammar. It passed unanimously.

The next regular Board Meeting Workshop will be at the Central Office, 6 p.m., Sept. 10. The next regular Board meeting will be Sept. 12 at 6 p.m. at Woodbury Grammar.