School Board Discusses Vacancies

In closed session May 15, the GCISD School Board (Tina Flores absent) discussed hiring a band director, a technology director and a Spanish teacher, but took no action. According to School Superintendent Steve Long, the technology position was created when Duane Cox did not return the contract offered him.  Long is continuing to interview applicants for the jobs, and the board gave him the authority to offer contracts, subject to the board’s approval.

            The board formalized a list of stipends paid to teachers who coach University Interscholastic League academic events.  Elementary and junior high stipends are $100 per coach; high school coaches receive $100 per event, including practice meets and decathlon, with no money for events beyond the district level. The UIL coordinator ‘s stipend of $500 may be split among two or more people.  The Cross X debate coach gets $250, one-act play coach $400, band director $4,000, high school cheerleading sponsor $800 and junior high cheerleading sponsor $400. Under this plan, the school will pay a total of $6,000 in academic coaching stipends, spread among 36 people, Long said.  He said the school spends $25,000 among 6 people for athletic coaching stipends.

Cafeteria Losses Discussed

Cafeteria losses of $97,000 prompted Board Member Karla Hoelscher to ask whether and how money might be saved in that operation.  In the discussion that followed, Long said school cafeterias always lose money.  According to school secretary Kathy Wheat, 43 percent of the student population participate in the free lunch program.  The board seemed enthusiastic about both the quality and quantity of food served there now, as compared to a few years ago. Hoelscher said, “I think it’s great –- I eat there every day and love it!  I just wonder if some cost savings are possible.” She said, for example, she would rather the school lose only $50,000 on the cafeteria and use the $47,000 savings to hire another teacher.

Morning summer school will be held June 4-29, using grants and federal programs to pay for it. Long said 4 or 5 teachers would be working, and two busses running. A field trip to Lubbock’s I-Max theatre and the Science Spectrum will end the session.

Long said the government now requires that school districts be accountable for every item on campus which has a value of $500 or more. In order to take an inventory of such items, the school will engage RCI, a company which bar codes all eligible school property, then the inventory will be updated as items are bought or sold. Long said RCI will charge $2,000 for the job and school personnel will inventory items less than $500 in value.

 

Summer Work Programs Employ Students

 Five students will be employed part-time in summer work programs at the school, doing various jobs, including helping with summer school. Other students will work on Bill Murphy’s summer staff through the Job Training and Placement Act.

Long said the school will be getting some paving done this summer. The school will pay for its paving, but will have the work bid and done along with the county’s annual road paving project.

Jimmy Eggemeyer was re-elected as school board president, Tibby Niehues vice-president and Karla Hoelscher secretary.

The board passed a resolution placing the Glasscock County News and its staff (Mary Jo Cope, Carmen Johnson, Scott Cope, Laura Huitt and Joe Melanie Calverley) on the Texas Association of School Board’s Media Honor Roll 2001.  The recognition is for “. . . fair and balanced reporting and providing valuable information in the community about public schools.” 

The board accepted a bid from Bluebird Bus Company for a 54-passenger bus ($44,000) and a 19-passenger one ($34,000).

            A budget amendment was passed moving $325,000 from the school’s reserves to its WADA account. Long said the money was necessary to settle up the WADA accounts from the last two years.

 

 

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