Despite Delays,
School Board
Still Pursuing
Reorganization
BY SUSAN USHER
Brunswick County school boaiu
members took a second look
Tuesday night at a plan to reorganize
the central office instructional staff
adopted last December but not set
into motion, and made only one
change on a 3-2 vote.
The plan provided that all em
ployees whose positions were elimi
nated would have hiring "priority"
on all jobs within the school system
for which they Qualify.
The amendment adopted on rec
ommendation of consulting attorney
Richard Schwartz and board attor
ney Glen Peterson states the plan is
"not intended to infer or endue any
greater rights than provided by state
law".
Fhe R1F policy gives "career"
icachci> ? full-time classroom teach
ers or supervisors of teaching with
current class A teaching certification
and tenure ? priority for positions
for which they are qualified that be
come available over the three years
following their dismissal. If that
teacher is offered a job for which he
or she is certified and refuses it, the
board takes that name off its list of
available employees.
Board members Thurman Gause
and Yvonne Bright voted against the
amendment, which was introduced
by Bill Fairley and adopted without
public discussion after an executive
session to discuss "attorney-client
personnel matters."
Bright was the only board mem
ber to vote against the plan in
December, saying the decision was
being made too hastily. Gause said
he voted for it in December with the
understanding it was only "prelimi
nary".
Gause said his no vote Tuesday
was in support of Superintendent
Ralph Johnston, who he said had
recommended holding off on the
plan until adoption of the budget and
getting the results of a requested
state audit of the central office oper
ation. Gause also claims several
lawsuits against the board are "on
held" pending !h? hiurri's action
Tuesday.
Board member Polly Russ said
she is still hoping the plan will be
put in place in time to prepare for
the 1994-95 school year, but ac
knowledged the board did discuss
Tuesday some of the concerns
Gause mentioned.
Johnston said luesday night he
doesn't have a timetable for imple
menting the plan, but would be talk
ing with the board about it
"I'm not sure when it will be put
into effect," he said. "Much of it is
tied to the budget process, and we
need to see what happens there."
When the board adopted the plan
in December, the stated intent was to
allow time for reorganization to lake
place by the start of the new fiscal
ysar July A?si?t?nt
intendent Jan Olhoun and Johnston
hxl Mid they expected most plan
ning and personnel decisions to be
made as early as January and
February.
Few of the seven changes out
lined in the plan have occurred and
the formal notification proce.* re
quited when eliminating any posi
tions has not begun.
Nelson Best, director of athletics,
health, physical education and dri
ver's education retired earlier this
year. His was one of the five county
funded jobs eliminated under the
plan.
Others are director of library/me
dia, now held by Edna Gause; super
visor of middle schools, held by Bob
Rhyne; supervisor of high schools,
held by James McAdams; supervi
sor of elementary schools, held by
Christine Hall.
Some of their duties would be as
sumed by no one, reflecting changes
in crtinnl mt?n nrinrities. while
44 * *** ~ S ? ? *-- s .
other responsibilities would be
picked up by remaining central of
fice personnel or school-based staff.
The plan also creates two director
slots for eiemcraaiy ?uu jgfoadary
education and three 11-month teach
ers on special assignment (of no
more than three consecutive years)
working with school staffs as
"school improvement specialists".
The draft 1994-95 school budget
proposes extending contracts for
high school and middle scboui ?m
??nt principals from 10 months to 11
months, another part of the plan
The goal is for them to assume some
of the services previously handled
by central office staff such as open
ing and closing school and summer
staff development activities.
County high schools wiii w?? ?
different approach this coming year
in seeking rcaecreditatioa by the
Southern Association of Colleges
and Schools (SACS).
On a motion by Fairley, the board
agreed for the high schools to switch
from a traditional 10-vear re-accred
itation process to an annual "school
renewal" approach that meshes with
existing school improvement and
performance-based accountability
efforts.
have tc meet the SACS
standards," said Calhoun. "The only
difference is that we will be looking
at the schools on an annuai basis not
every five years, which I think will
be more effective/'
A school's progress in meeting
five broad goals would be monitored
and schools that fail to meet their
goais over a three-year tune period
would lose accreditation.
Under a traditional plan, schools
are reviewed by an accreditation
team at five-year intervals and on
10-year intervals must complete ex
tensive self-studies at a cost of up to
$12,000 per school. The county high
schools were up for 10-year re ac
creditation this coming year.
Calhoun estimates the "school re
newal" process will cost between
$300 and $500 per school each year.
SACS accreditation is a voluntary
process that assures participating
schools meet established standards.
While most states now have their
own standards or improvement pro
grams in place, Calhoun said
schools have been reluctant to drop
regional accreditation, believing it is
still generally expected by colleges
and universities.
Bidslfcbled
Action on bids for additions to
West Brunswick and North Bruns
wick high schools were tabled for a
second time while board members
pinpoint a source of additional
funds.
"There ?*ms to he a lot of confu
sion here on what direction we're
going," Chairman Donna Baxter
said as she suggested waiting until
the board has answers to its ques
tions. "I'm hesitant to obligate this
board or a future board to spending
funus wc don't have."
Both projects are scaled-down at
tempts to meet the more pressing
space needs of the two schools by
adding six classrooms at North and
eight at West if funds allow.
Bids came in higher than expect
ed, and school board members aren't
certain more money is available.
County commissioners had desig
nated $543,021 for the North expan
sion and $774,254 for West, but
West will require another $227,000
if eight classrooms are built.
They want to find out from com
missioners if money can be drawn
from a county reserve fund or if
commissioners would object to use
Of OTf nf state school funds
for the project next year. Finance
Officer Rudi Fallon said the schools
should receive about $300,000 in
"ADM" capital outlay funds next
year, with the actual sum based on
student membership.
Otherwise the only option may be
to proceed with one project and de
lay the other.
Assistant Superintendent Bill
Turner said a decision needs to be
made quickly because the bids are
good only until June 3.
In other business the board:
? approved routine personnel ac
tions and authorized the finance of
fice to sell a large group of surplus
items "as is" at public auction on
June 4. Mom of the equipment isn't
in working condition but have sal
vageable parts.
? awarded the in-car driver edu
cation contract for next year to low
bidder Jordan Driving School for
S100 per student. Diamond School
of Driving, which now provides the
training submitted the highest bid at
Si 40 per student. This year it re
ceived $137 per student The school
system expects sbou* 741
to take driver's education next year.
? heard from Assistant Superin
tendent Oscar Blanks that the
"Children in Crisis" committee wiil
begin organizing May 25 as a
"Communities In Schools" program
and is working on developing plans,
wciuu| luuucy sad locating : site or
sites to provide an alternative school
jetting next year for students who
don't fare well in a traditional
school. Blanks said prospects are
good for receiving a state crime pre
vention grant. He expects alternative
school to replace or reduce the exist
ing extended day programs at the
high itubuU.
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