School board to close alternative schools

Clarke County Superintendent of Education Woodie Pugh recommended closing the two alternative schools and said he would have a recommendation for otherwise dealing with unruly and hard-to-discipline students at a later meeting.

Pugh called the alternative schools "very much ineffective" and said he would propose some kind of in-school suspension instead.

Board member Charlie Anderson asked how he intended to separate the problem students from the good ones. Pugh said perhaps through an after school program or Saturday school. The teachers will learn to handle most of the discipline problems themselves, he added, rather than sending students to the separate alternative schools overseen by a teacher hired specifically for the job.

Anderson said he worried that the unruly students would affect those who want to learn if they are not completely separated. That was the original intent of alternative schools, he said, adding that if a plan were forthcoming to assure that his concerns won't be a problem, he would be OK with the change.

The board voted for Pugh's recommendation.

Deficit balances at CCHS

The school board got a good audit from the state public examiners with the exception of one finding, one of the auditors told the board.

Auditors found deficit fund balances in school sports programs at Clarke County High School. The softball deficit is $45,687.42; volleyball, $37,399.96; and dance, $575.93.

"This makes the fund balance for public funds at Clarke County High School a deficit of $2,922.34. There has been no action taken by the school to eliminate these deficits. The softball deficit has increased by $3,960.14 and the volleyball deficit has increased by 4589.01, when compared to prior year amounts," the audit states.

No explanations or details regarding the deficits were discussed at the board meeting but Carmen Rotch, the school system's chief financial officer, noted after the meeting that the school system did make a response to the finding. It reads in part, "A plan was established to raise the money to eliminate the deficit and to ensure that property procedures will be followed in the future." To date, the deficit has been reduced by $25,770.60.

Facilities report

James McLean told of work at various school facilities.

He said there had been problems with the air conditioners at the new JHS athletic complex with six of the eight units being out. All are fixed now.

He said an emergency declaration was needed so that heating and air conditioning could be installed quickly at Jackson Middle School. Board members later agreed to that.

Other business

The board agreed to take bids on eight new school buses and three special needs buses.

A cooler was purchased from Birmingham Restaurant Company for $29,495, and a freezer from Goodwin Brothers for $38,400, both for Grove Hill Elementary School. Federal grant funds paid for the equipment.

Dairy Fresh Milk Company won the bid to supply milk to schools for the next school year and Flowers Baking Company won the bid to supply bread.

The next school board meetings will be held July 9 and July 22, both at 4 p.m.

See related stories from last week's school board meeting elsewhere in this issue.