BOE approves 2011-2012 budget

Published 6:22 pm Tuesday, September 20, 2011

The Chilton County Board of Education voted unanimously Sept. 20 to approve the proposed budget for the 2011-2012 fiscal year and to submit it to the state.

CFO Steve Yeargan presented the same budget at Tuesday’s meeting as the budget he presented at the board’s first public budget hearing on Sept. 8.

Yeargan said this year’s budget fund balance is projected to be about $4.5 million, which is higher than the previous balance.

“Last year, we got through about $3.9 million through the fund balance,” Yeargan said. “What I’m looking for is getting through the year. The difference is we just shut down the purchases of different stuff like maintenance.”

In new business, board members approved the following new employees: Robin Cagle, principal at Verbena; Megan Adkins Davis, elementary teacher at Thorsby for one year; Suzanne Giles, cafeteria assistant at Isabella; and Cindy Windham, special education job coach at LeCroy Career Technical Center.

The board also approved a revision to non-resident students policy JBCAF, as well as the new weighted-grading scale, but not without discussion.

“I was under the opinion that weighted classes would only be AP and Dual Enrollment,” said board member Chris Davis, noting that weighted classes will now include all advanced classes at some schools.

Visitor Tommy Headley said he was opposed to implementing the new grading scale with ninth graders because Verbena can only offer AP courses to 11th and 12th graders through its Access program.

“I encourage the board to reconsider the policy about starting at the ninth-grade level,” Headley said. “Please don’t make a board policy that would penalize Chilton County students for four more years.”

Davis expressed a similar opinion, but Superintendent Dave Hayden disagreed, saying maybe the policy should have been implemented four years ago.

The board voted unanimously to approve the policy, which mandates that the new grading scale begin with this year’s ninth graders.

The board also voted on the following recommendations:

•Approved payrolls.

•Approved minutes of the previous meeting.

•Awarded bids on floor covering and chain link fence.

•Approved substitute employee list.

•Requested bids on pest control.

•Approved child nutrition program request.

•Approved leave requests for five employees.

•Approved insurance renewal for ARMS General Liability/Errors and Omission Insurance and ARMS Automobile Liability Insurance.

•Approved the following school requests: Chilton County High – permission for agriscience/FFA and marching band out-of-state field trips; Maplesville – permission for varsity and junior varsity cheerleaders for out-of-state trip; Thorsby – approval of an additional parking lot and permission for sixth grade out-of-state trip.

•Approved paying board salary supplements with payment of other supplements pending receipt of funds from outside sources.

•Reimbursed four days sick leave to a Thorsby School employee for on-the-job injury.

•Accepted resignations for Willodean Porter, LeCroy Center; James Gerald Smitherman, Isabella; Edward Spence, Chilton County High School; Landa Culpepper, Clanton Elementary School.