December 7, 2015
MONTGOMERY COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION
MINUTES
December 7, 2015
The Montgomery County Board of Education convened in its regular monthly meeting on Monday, December 7, 2015 at 6:30 p.m. Board members present were Steven W. DeBerry – Chair, Tommy Blake – Vice Chair, Bryan Dozier, Jesse Hill, Ann Long, Shirley Threadgill and Sandra Miller.
Chairman DeBerry called the meeting to order and moved to adopt the agenda as shown. With a motion by Ann Long and a second from Sandra Miller, the agenda was adopted as presented.
Chairman DeBerry opened the meeting with a devotional for the Christmas season. Mr. DeBerry reminded us to love one another, mend fences and to be charitable and giving, not only at Christmas, but every day.
Next, Chairman DeBerry called on Page Street Elementary students Valerie Adams, Brooklyn Hart and Emily Lee to lead the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America.
Following the pledge, the board unanimously voted Steve DeBerry to retain his position as Chairman and Tommy Blake to continue as Vice Chair.
Chairman DeBerry presented a Resolution of Esteem to the families of Earle Connelly and Bernie Hill, respectively. The first resolution reads: WHEREAS, our Heavenly Father, in His infinite love and wisdom, saw fit to call home Earle Allen Connelly on October 20 2015 and WHEREAS, his services for fourteen years as a board member with Montgomery County Schools were a living testament of his integrity and skill, and WHEREAS, his loss will be deeply felt not only by those with whom he served, but also throughout his entire community and county. NOW, THEREFORE, be it resolved that the Montgomery County Board of Education goes on record in expressing a sense of real loss and regret in his passing; that a copy of this resolution be conveyed to his family as an indication of our deep sympathy; and that a copy of the same be filed as a part of the permanent minutes of the Board of Education. The second resolution reads: WHEREAS, our Heavenly Father, in His infinite love and wisdom, saw fit to call home Bernie Hill on November 10, 2015 and WHEREAS, his services for fifty-one years as a custodian with Montgomery County Schools were a living testament of his integrity and skill, and WHEREAS, his loss will be deeply felt not only by those with whom he served, but also throughout his entire community and county. NOW, THEREFORE, be it resolved that the Montgomery County Board of Education goes on record in expressing a sense of real loss and regret in his passing; that a copy of this resolution be conveyed to his family as an indication of our deep sympathy; and that a copy of the same be filed as a part of the permanent minutes of the Board of Education.
Superintendent Ellis presented the NCDPI Excellence in Management of the State Public School Fund award to the Finance Office. Mitch Taylor, Chief Financial Officer accepted the award, accompanied by finance office employees Lisa Ritter, Donna Morris and Michelle Brady.
Kevin Lancaster and Deidra Steed awarded teacher Daniel Kern a certificate for completion of his National Board Certification.
Pokie Noland, Exceptional Children Program Director, recognized Marcella Rutherford as Exceptional Children Educator of the Year. Ms. Rutherford is a teacher at West Montgomery in the self-contained classroom. Ms. Rutherford was recognized at the state convention in November. This is the third time she has won the award.
West Middle School Employees of the Month are Donna Rowland, Certified and Brenda Trogdon, Classified. Principal John McMillan described Ms. Rowland as a dependable employee who serves on several committees and is always willing to help. Of Ms. Coyle, Mr. McMillan stated that she is always willing to fill in where needed.
West Montgomery High School Employees of the Month are Phil Spivey, Certified and Donna Brown, Classified. Principal Benjie Brown stated that Mr. Spivey helps get the students through “senioritis” in English IV and Ms. Brown’s kids were so proud of her; they talked about it for days after the announcement.
Chairman DeBerry asked for a motion to approve the consent agenda as submitted. With a motion by Sandra Miller and a second by Ann Long, the board approved the consent agenda unanimously. The following items were approved:
1) Board Minutes from November 2, 2015;
2) Personnel and Auxiliary Reports as follows:
a. Upon the recommendation of the principal, approval of the following additions to the
substitute teacher list:
Noncertified Recommended By Record Check
1) Dana Spivey Laurie Brown Yes
2) Candace Brasington Kevin Lancaster Yes
3) Brandy Furr Donnie Lynthacum Yes
4) Kenston Scott Donnie Lynthacum Yes
Certified Recommended By Record Check
1) Nancy Cordoza Sharon Castelli Yes
b. Superintendent reports the acceptance of the following resignations/retirements:
Resignation/Retirement School/Assignment Effective Date
1) Candace Brasington Troy Elem./Page Street 12/18/2015
Resignation ESL Teacher
2) Vicki Caviness Central Office 11/30/2015
Resignation Child Nutrition
3) Christy Bartley Troy Elementary School 12/31/2015
Resignation Child Nutrition
4) Blair Johnson West Montgomery High 12/18/2015
Resignation Dance Teacher
c. Upon recommendation, approval of the following contracted services:
Contract/ School/ Record
Effective Date Assignment Check Replacing
1) Rita Webb Mt. Gilead Elementary Yes
11/30/2015 Admin. Tutor
d. Upon recommendation, approval of the following interim contracts for the 2015-2016 school year as provided by General Statute 115C-325
1) Terry Appen Mt. Gilead Elementary Pending Vicki Panzer
Physical Education Teacher
e. Upon recommendation of the superintendent, approval of recommendation for employment of the following non-certified personnel:
Employee/ School/ Record
Effective Date Assignment Check Replacing
1) Jamie Hunsucker West Middle School Yes
11/12/2015 METAL Coordinator/PT
2) Anthony Maynor West Middle School Yes
11/13/2015 METAL Assistant/PT
3) Crystal Thomas Page Street Elementary Yes Brenda Robinson
11/16/2015 P/T Teacher Assistant
4) Courtney Sheffield Green Ridge Elementary Yes Curt Hancock
11/30/2015 EC Support/PT
5) Shannon Hill West Middle School Yes
11/30/2015 Lead METAL Assistant
f. Report of the following transfers:
Transfer/
Effective Date From To Replacing
1) April Greene Page Street Elem. Central Office Shannon Robinson
11/09/2015 Teacher Assistant Front Desk Receptionist
2) Brenda Livingston East Middle School West Montgomery High Jessica King
12/7/2015 Bookkeeper Bookkeeper
3) Rachel Haywood Star Elementary Star Elementary Bernie Hill
11/20/2015 PT Custodian FT Custodian
4) Tremenia Wall Montg. Learning Aca. East Middle School Brenda Livingston
Teacher Assistant Bookkeeper
g. Upon recommendation of the superintendent, approval of recommendation for leave of absence of the following personnel:
1) Sandra Stone- 5th grade teacher, Mt. Gilead Elementary; requesting a medical leave of absence from October 24, 2015 until January 3, 2016
h. Upon recommendation, approval of the following coaches for the winter 2015 sports season:
East Middle School
Coach Sport
Barbara Streeter Cheerleading
Lauren Peter Women’s Basketball
Kesha Collins Women’s Basketball, Asst. Men’s Basketball
Nathan McCallum Men’s Basketball, Head Athletic First Responder
Jonathan Frazier Men’s Basketball
East Montgomery High School
Angela Everette Cheerleading
Erie Greene Varsity Boys Basketball
Terrence Leake Asst. Varsity Boys Basketball
Ray Massey JV Boys Basketball
Mike Stancil Varsity Girls Basketball
Linda Baldwin Asst. V. Girls Basketball
Mike Maness Wrestling
Sarah Talbert Wrestling
Phil Collett Asst. Wrestling
Angie Collett Wrestling Volunteer
Ray Deaton Men’s Swimming
Janet Deaton Women’s Swimming
Talitha Auman Athletic Trainer
West Montgomery High School
Grant Smith Men’s Basketball
Kenny Young Men’s Basketball
Tanisha Bowden Women's Basketball
Stefanie Panzer Women’s Basketball
Earle Poole Men’s Swimming
Cathy Haithcock Women’s Swimming
Daniel Coggins Wrestling
Ken Neal Wrestling
Larry Lisenby Softball
Russell Strong Softball
West Middle School
Ron Weaver Boys Basketball
Shawn Clausell Boys Basketball
Caitlin Batten Girls Basketball
Emily Hess Girls Basketball
Mike West Wrestling
i. Upon recommendation of the superintendent, approval of recommendation for
employment of the following bus driver/sub drivers that are not dual employees:
Mona Stanback Bus Driver Yes
Nakeia Graham Bus Monitor Yes
Argie Medley Bus Monitor Yes
Sheila Ford Jones Bus Driver Yes
Upon recommendation, approval of the following overnight field trip is requested.
1)
April 19-21 – West Montgomery High School SKILLS USA to
Greensboro, NC for the SKILLS USA competitions.
2)
February 5-6 – West
Montgomery High School Beta Club to Koury Convention Center, Greensboro for NC
Beta Club Program
Upon recommendation, approval of the following student transfers is requested for the 2015-2016 school year.
Randolph County Schools to Montgomery County Schools
1) Hannah Dunn
2) Javari Dunn
Guilford County Schools to Montgomery County Schools
1) Zanoira Huitt
2) Zaniya Huitt
3) Zabion Nunez
4) Zakaria Nunez
Montgomery County Schools to Stanly County Schools1) Connor Parsons
Montgomery County Schools to Randolph County Schools
1) Zora Geffre
2) Mattie Geffre
Upon recommendation approval of the following Montgomery County School students for early graduation is requested.
West Montgomery High School
1) Waylon Andrews
2) Caleb Cesaro
3) John Paul Greene
4) Jared Morton
5) Sophia Frettoloso
6) Kacy Haithcock
7) Tiffany Hartis
8) Brandi Khan
9) Mollie Lee
10) Cristina Naugler (Differentiated Diploma)
11) Briana Smith
12) Lilly Yang
East Montgomery High School
1) Natalia Velasco
3) Contract for Architectural Services:
Next, Principal Sharon Castelli and Nora Beasley discussed student happenings at Page Street Elementary. With the use of technology, students read aloud and listened on audio to the book, Wonder. Thanks to a mini grant written by Ms. Castelli, students received their own copy of the book along with the next installment. Wonder follows Auggie, a fifth grader who is bullied. Students learned by reading and discussing the book how words hurt. Students used a wadded piece of paper for an example. They explained that the paper stays wrinkled after you try to smooth it out, much the same way your words linger after they are spoken. The students pledged to not bully and be respectful of others. They received a bracelet as a reminder of their oath.
Pokie Noland presented an Exceptional Children’s Program update for the past thirteen months. The exceptional children’s department currently serves five hundred, thirty-five students. Montgomery County has worked extremely hard to become compliant with record keeping. To improve services, a survey was sent to all EC staff requesting what they envisioned for the department. At the county office level, employees would like the department to be welcoming without being critical, knowledgeable, supportive and accommodating. Teachers would also like to establish a stronger line of communication between the county office and the school. At the school level, employees would like more time to complete paperwork and to plan with the child’s teacher. Also requested was training for various disabilities, such as autism and a lead teacher to handle paperwork. To keep up with all changes and requirements, upcoming training sessions tailored to the audience will be held monthly and new teachers will spend a day of training on compliance procedures. Every Thursday from 3:30 to 5:00 pm, teachers are encouraged to come by the county office for answers to questions or help with specific situations. This year, the exceptional children’s department plans to continue the Joy Prom, Fun Day in the Park and field trips for self-contained classes.
Chairman DeBerry asked for nominations from board members to serve on the 2016-17 North Carolina State Board Association Legislative Committee. Committee members would be required to attend two meetings during the year in Raleigh. Ann Long nominated Jesse Hill to represent Montgomery County Board of Education with Mr. Dozier seconding. Mr. Hill accepted the nomination with unanimous approval from the board.
Kevin Lancaster presented the 2016-17 Montgomery County School calendar for first reading. The calendar will be an action item up for approval at the January board meeting.
Dr. Lancaster then presented the following policies for approval: 1310/4002 Parental Involvement; 1320/3560 Title I Parent Involvement; 1710/4021/7230 Prohibition Against Discrimination, Harassment, and Bullying; 1742/5060 Responding to Complaints; 2302 Remote Participation in Board Meetings; 2310 Public Participation at Board Meetings; 3320 School Trips; 3405 Students at Risk of Academic Failure; 3420 Student Promotion and Accountability; 3460 Graduation Requirements; 4040/7310 Staff-Student Relations; 4110 Immunization and Health Requirements for School Admission; 4152 Unsafe School Choice Transfer; 4303 Fair and Consistent Discipline Administration; 4320 Tobacco Products-Students; 4351 Short-Term Suspension; 4353 Long-Term Suspension, 365-Day Suspension, Expulsion; 5022 Registered Sex Offenders; 5026/7250 Smoking and Tobacco Products; 6305 Safety and Student Transportation Services; 6315 Drivers; 7335 Employee Use of Social Media; 7500 Workday; 7730 Employee Conflict of Interest; 9010 Site Selection; 9020 Facility Design; 9110 Use and Selection of Architects, Engineers, Surveyors and Construction Managers at Risk; and 9400 Sale and Disposal of Board-Owned Real Property. These policies were reviewed at the December board meeting. Ms. Long asked for a motion to approve with Mrs. Miller seconding. The board approved the policies unanimously.
Dr. Lancaster presented a set of policies for first reading. These policies will be up for approval at the January board meeting. Policies include: 1010 Board Authority and Duties; 1100 Governing Principles; 1200 Governing Principle-Student Success; 1510/4200/7270 School Safety; 1720/4015/7225 Discrimination; Harassment and Bullying Complaint Procedure; 2120 Code of Ethics of School Board Member; 2121 Board Member Conflict of Interest; 2123 Board Member Opportunities for Development; 2300 Board Meetings; 2341 Quorum; 2400 Board Policies; 3000 Goals and Objectives of Educational Program; 3320 School Trips; 3430 School Improvement Plan; 3540 Comprehensive Health Education Program; 4000 Focus on Students; 4270/6145 Concussion and Head Injury; 5000 Schools and the Community; 5070/7350 Public Records-Retention, Release and Disposition; 5120 Relationship with Law Enforcement; 6000 Support Services; 6120 Student Health Services; 6420 Contracts with the Board; 6420 Pre-Audit Certification; 6430 State Purchasing Requirements for Equipment, Materials and Supplies; 7100 Recruitment and Selection of Personnel; 7405 Extracurricular and Non-Instructional Duties; 7810 Evaluation of License Employees; 7920 Reduction in Force/Teachers and School Administration; 8000 Fiscal Goals; 8100 Budget Planning and Adoption; 8510 School Finance Officer; 9000 Planning to Address Facility Needs; 9120 Bidding for Construction Work; and 9220 Security of Facilities.
Superintendent Ellis discussed the notes from the Student Advisory Meeting. The students compiled things that they liked and things that they would change about their classrooms and schools. They also listed topics they would like to discuss in future meetings.
Chairman DeBerry then asked for a motion to
adjourn and move into closed session. With
a motion by Bryan Dozier, and a second from Jesse Hill, the board unanimously
approved going into closed session to discuss personnel.
After returning from closed session, Chairman DeBerry asked for a motion to adjourn the meeting. With a motion by Bryan Dozier and a second by Tommy Blake, the meeting was duly adjourned.
The next regular meeting will be held on Monday, January 11, 2015 at 6:30 pm.
__________________________ __________________________
Steven W. DeBerry, Chairman Dale Ellis, Ed. D., Secretary