School Board Chair Leo Branch presents board member Lester Brown with a plaque indicating that Brown had completed the Alabama Association of School Boards Academy’s requirements.
At the regular meeting of the Greene County Board of Education, CFO Ms. Evelyn James told board members that the system now had a cash and cash equivalency of $2.9 million.
The revenue for the month of November was $1.16 million; expenditures equalled $1.225 million. However, she said, there was $400,000 in federal funding for October and November which would not be received until December, which would help balance revenue and expenses.
Board member Lester Brown asked, as he does at every meeting, if the board had received any funding from bingo at Greenetrack or from simulcasting. As usual, he was told no funding had come in from either source. He asked that the attorney contact them.
In action items, the board unanimously approved travel for the Greene County High School Girls Basketball team to Dekalb, Mississippi on December 28 and travel for the Greene County High School Boys Basketball Team to Kemper, Mississippi to participate in the Kemper County Tournament on December 29-30. They also approved payment of bills, claims and payroll and approved the financial statement submitted by CFO Evelyn James.
Following a lengthy executive session, the board approved the retirement of Mrs. Bobby Carpenter, secretary at the Greene County Board of Education, effective January 1, 2011.
They also approved the resignation of Mr. Cleveland Austin as health instructor at Greene County High School, effective November 30, 2010.
In her report. Superintendent Isaac Atkins explained to Board members that the State School Board had adopted a common core curricular in English and Math. They become the 42nd state in the U. S. to adopt these standards and the final state in the southern states to do so.
She also reported that the system had received an Arts in the Schools grant from the Alabama State Council on the Arts. The funds will be used purchase art supplies for Eutaw Primary and Greene County High School and to take students to various arts-related events.
She also reported that all schools are required by the state to maintain at least one month’s operating funds. At present, the Greene County System is maintaining 4.6 months operating funds in the schools. “There are quite a few schools in the negative,” she said. “Greene County Schools are not in the negative.”
She also explained that the schools cannot use public funds for a number of things. Monies for activities that cannot use public funds can often be raised by PTAs and other school-related organizations. She ended her report by wishing everyone a Merry Christmas.
Board Chair Leo Branch announced that board member Lester Brown had completed all the courses of the Alabama Association of School Board’s Academy. He presented Brown with a plaque from the Academy for his achievements.
Board members presented Superintendent Atkins with a lovely poinsettia as a Christmas present.
The board recessed until January 6, 2011 at 4:30 p.m.