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Minutes - October 17, 2018

Certified Staff Advisory

October 17, 2018

Members present: Jennifer Nance, PSES; Nora Beasley, MLA; Sharon Thompson, CES; Heather Beane, MCEC; Stefanie Panzer, WMHS; Susan Inman, MGES; Caitlin Batten, WMS; Danielle Hurley, SES; Jaclyn Kennedy, PSES; Heather Gulledge, EMS; Teresa Allred, EMHS. Absent: Amy Ellington, TES.

Dr. Ellis welcomed all in attendance, and thanked them for serving on the committee. He discussed the purpose of the committee is to ensure that we have open communication. 

Celebrations

We survived through the Wednesday! 

Budget Update

Enrollment was down this year, and funding is tied to enrollment. Dr. Ellis provided information on how enrollment funding is allotted. In the spring, the state provides districts with an allotment projection. The projection is based on the number of students the state expects a district to have. As long as a district is within 100 students of the projection the district can keep the funding allotted to them, but if they are below 100, the state takes back money. This year, due to the charter schools and a private school, our district was not within our 100 students range. The district lost more than 100 students. Cuts of around $400,000 had to be made to this year’s budget due to the use of fund balance last year to cover cuts. Based on the actual enrollment, the district anticipates having to revert around $850,000 back to the state. Cuts are being felt across the district. Even with the cuts made this year, the district will have to spend about $350,000 in fund balance. This is the first year, the district had to consolidate 5 classes at our elementary schools. Next year, we hope to be in better shape as it relates to class sizes. We continue to lose kids and we’ve got to do something about it. The district will get some funding next year to cover PE teachers at the elementary level to help with relief on the class size bill. This was a tough budget year. Based on the numbers right now, we would have to replace a teacher if we lost one, specifically at the elementary level. If you are here, doing a good job, and want to have a job you will have a job. Things will continue to be done through attrition. 

What are you anticipating the impact Tillery Charter will have next year? We hope minimal.

School Safety Update

The district has been meeting with the School Safety Advisory County, a group comprised of local law enforcement, the sheriff, MCC, and others to discuss school safety. The district has spent money to install buzzer systems at our elementary and middle schools. The system was not installed at the high schools because of the new school being built and the fact that the current schools will only be operational for another year and half, and because there is no way to secure the campus due to the schools design with multiple buildings and doors and the need for students to go between buildings. With the new high school it will be possible because there will be one main door. The state has developed a new safety training model – Run, Hide, Fight. Schools will begin to learn more about this new model, as we continue to develop trainings to better equip students, teachers, and staff on how to handle safety situations. Our number one goal if anything happens is to keep everyone safe! It is our hope that the state will establish a K-12 bond referendum within the next couple of years that would provide funding that could help with upgrading security in our district. If passed, it could bring $4.5 to $5.5 million to Montgomery County – $3 to $3.5 million would be spent to upgrade safety in our schools.

Construction Update

Construction continues at the site for the new CTE Building and Montgomery Central. The finished projected date for the CTE center is August of 2019. If the building is not complete by the beginning of the school year, the district would continue to offer CTE courses at the high schools and then transition to the CTE Center once complete. There will be lots of information in the coming weeks on our CTE program, what will be offered, what it will look like in collaboration with MCC, etc.

The high school is scheduled to open 2020. There are discussions behind the scenes to develop ways to unify the students and staff. Dr. Ellis plans to ask students when he meets with the Student Advisory Council for input then ask adults, teachers, etc. 

Questions

  1. Why do we have to work a second day when we opt to work on optional teacher work days re: the weather? It seems like we are having to work two days and we don't get any kind of credit for coming in on the optional days. I have never had anyone explain that in a way that I could really understand. If we don't opt to work that day (the optional day) then they take a day away from us. That makes no sense either since we are making the day up with the students on another day anyway.
  2. I'd like to know the plan for those of us who worked both optional teacher workdays during Hurricane Florence.  It seems to me that those of us who worked both days and have to teach through the make-up days are working two extra days.  September 14 - Oct 11 and Nov 1as make up days. September 17 - I worked on the optional teacher workday - Make Up day is now Oct 12.  So, those of us that worked on the Sept. 17th optional workday are working this day twice. September 18 - I worked on the optional teacher workday - make up to be determined or forgiven.  Either way, we already worked this day.
  3. What is the status of getting phones in the classrooms at East Middle?
  4. We were given a paper today to document how we wanted make up time for missed days.  There were four days listed that we have to make up.....the question was why are we making up 4 days?  Didn't we make up one of the four already on this past Friday???   
  5. Teachers have been asking how other counties are NOT making up the days missed and why are we?

 

Hurricane Florence information - School was closed for everyone Friday, with optional days Monday and Tuesday. The NC General Assembly (GA) met and information starts coming out. We were told we had to make up 2 student days and could waive one (which will be presented at the November Board of Education Meeting). Then, the GA passed legislation that just impacted Florence, which stated that employees are to be paid for days missed by Florence and do not have to make up the days missed. So, everyone will get paid this month whether you worked or not. If you did not work you will not be charged annual leave. If you were, it will be refunded to you. Issues arise for those who actually worked the optional days. Dr. Ellis will work with the Board of Education to determine how to make it up to those that did work. We are trying to work out the issues with Florence before we determine how to handle the day missed from Hurricane Michael. Please do not continue making up any time. If you have already done so, you will get that time back. Once all has been worked out, there will be clear communication to everyone about make up time within the next week. Our county was not declared a state of emergency.

 

Will we still stay on November 1st til 8:00 pm for make-up day? No, but students will still be there the full day instead of half day.

Will Mrs. Dozier be the sole social worker for the entire county? No, we are hiring an Attendance Counselor position in place of Alisa Beard’s retirement.