Schools' Waiver Requests Prompting
Scrutiny Of County Attendance Policy
BY SUSAN USHER
li s mid-July and 15 students arc
studying in a classroom at Wacca
maw Elementary School in Ash,
making up excessive absences from
last school term so thev will be pro
moted with their classmates this fall.
From sixth through eighth grade,
they're using self-paced, gradt-level
materials and working under one
teacher. They're making up any
where from one to nine absences
over the 10 allowed by the
Brunswick County Schools standard
attendance policy.
Waccamaw School's dilemma re
sembles that of schools countywide:
how to maintain a high attendance
rate while still providing some flexi
bility in deciding when it is OK for
students to miss school, and whether
they should make up the missed
time in class and/or work missed.
Monday night the Brunswick
County Board of Education ap
proved belated requests for atten
dance policy waivers from Wac
camaw Elementary and South
Bmnswick Middle schools similar
to those approved earlier for most
other high and middle schools in the
county.
Jan Calhoun, assistant superinten
dent for instruction, recommended
approval of the waiver requests but
also asked the board to take another
look at its attendance policy and talk
with principals about it.
"I said months ago that any policy
where more than 50 percent of our
schools are requesting, we have a
problem." he said. "This 10-day pol
"We are going to try to take a look at
why they were out, if there was an
emergency of some kind and whether
the absence should be excused or
whether they should be allowed to
make it up in some fashion. "
? William Shoemaker, Waccamaw Principal
icy is becoming unmanageable for
the schools."
In most schools students arc al
lowed to make up excessive ab
sences and missed work throughout
the year, doing lessons assigned by
their classroom teachers after
school, on Saturdays and most re
cently. in summer school sessions
held after the end of the term.
"It keeps our attendance rate up.
hut I'm not sure it's helping our in
structional program, saiu C .limiun
School board member Bill Fairley
told Calhoun he knew "from first
hand experience" that Southport
Elementary isn't enforcing the policy.
Chairperson Donna Baxter sup
ported approval of the waivers but
was concerned that schools were
drifting away from a policy intended
to pruviuc grcaicr uniformity and
eliminate parents' concerns that a
student at one school wasn't being
treated the same as a student at an
other school in identical situations.
"Three years ago we tried to get
the entire county on the same sys
tem," she said. "Why do we keep
going back and forth? We've got to
be able to work it out."
If Waccamaw School had
changed its policy last year. Prin
cipaJ William Shoemaker estimates
the number of students with exces
sive absences still to made up after
the end of the term would have been
closer to five.
Waccamaw "s new policy is con
sistent with the attendance policy
West Brunswick High School
moved to at mid-year last school
year under a waiver approved by the
school board. Since then most high
schools and middle schools in the
county have adopted similar poli
cies.
West Brunswick's policy allows
students to miss 16 days or classes
during the year, and no more than
four days or classes per grading
term. Absences are to made up as
the school year progresses.
Shoemaker said moving to a four
absences per grading period system
at Waccamaw "will bring our sixth,
seventh and eighth grades into align
ment with the high school and make
the transition to high school easier
for our students."
"Also, it's not fair to hold our
kids to a different standard."
Me predicts the change will give
the school more flexibility in meet
ing students' needs . while helping
maintain or improve a school atten
dance rate that's consistently 9S per
cent or better.
"In the past absences were ab
sences," said Shoemaker. "The only
difference is that with excused ab
sences students can make up the
work they've missed."
Under the new policy an atten
dance committee will determine
what absences should be excused
and hear appeals of attcndance-relat
ed matters.
"We are going to try to take a
look at why they were out. if there
was an emergency of some kind and
whether the absence should be ex
cused or whether they should be al
lowed to make it up in some fash
ion."
At South Brunswick Middle, stu
dents will also be allowed four ab
sences per grading period and given
an opportunity to make them up.
Those who have excessive absences
that have not been made up will see
their grade drop by one full letter
grade, regardless of the number of
excessive absences.
OFFICIALS HAVEN'T GIVEN UP ON IDEA
Alternative School Funds Remain Uncertain
BY SUSAN USHER
Assistant Superintendent of Schools Oscar
Blanks hasn't given up on getting at least a part
of the crime prevention money sought from the
State Board of Education to operate a planned
alternative learning center for students who
don't ftt in a traditional school setting.
But Monday night he called in the big guns
to help.
With requests far exceeding the funds avail
able, the state education board, meeting Friday
in Raleigh, couldn't decide whether to partially
fund a majority of the projects or more fully
fund a smaller percentage.
Blanks asked for and got a commitment
from the school board to write the state board
seeking full funding of its proposal, but assuring
state officials that even partial funding would be
used effectively.
"It is going to be for the board and others to
intervene," he said. "It's not thai we have given
up on it, but that at a certain level the board has
to step in.
"What they want is assurance from the board
of education (hat this is not just a half-hearted
effort "
If the schools receive the funds, the most
they can expect is about $200,000 of the original
$493,000 request, he said, but that won't elimi
nate plans for the alternative school.
As part of a S 197,000 grant of other state
crime prevention funds, several positions are
available for the new school. The county is be
ing asked for S 150,000 to set up the facility, and
pay for utilities, custodial care and maintenance
and other support needs not covered by grant
funds.
The school board Is discussing with Carolina
Power and Light officials the possible transfer of
modular office units from CP&L's Brunswick
Nuclear Plant to the school system for an alter
native school campus.
Meanwhile. Brunswick Community College
trustees were to vote Wednesday night, July 13,
on a request to temporarily house the alternative
school in classrooms at its Southport campus on
North Lord Street.
Blanks had proposed serving 150 students
with 12 teachers and support staff at a central lo
cation, also drawing on community services to
help meet their needs. The school would be op
erated under the Communities In Schools pro
gram.
With partial funding of the grant plus the
other support. Blanks said the school could still
serve 120 to 125 students with "redirection" of
some drop-out prevention money.
"The entire premise of this school is drop
out prevention," he said. "We're trying to re
claim drop-outs and prevent dropping out. I
think we're going to have a long waiting list."
In other business the board met behind
closed doors for l'/i hours on attorney-client and
personnel matters, then approved a personnel list
(see related story) and replaced the plumbing
contractor on the West Brunswick High School
construction project scheduled to begin later this
month.
Ogden Utilities, whose low bid of S27.762
had been accepted earlier, was unable to obtain a
required performance bond in timely fashion.
The board voted to refund the company's bid de
posit and award the contract to Cape Fear
Plumbing at a contract price of $31,650.
Varnamtown Officials Want Kids To Steer Clear Of Boat Ramp
BY DOUG RLTTER
It's been going on for generations
in Vamamtown.
Every summer, when the temper
ature soars into the upper 80s and
90s, kids flock to the waterfront for
a refreshing swim in the Lockwood
Folly River.
Town officials say they don't
want to break the tradition, but agree
they may have to (to something
aboui youngsters who block <*ccc.v>
to the public boat ramp at the end of
Fisherman Road.
At Monday night's town meeting,
aldermen said there have been prob
lems this summer with kids who are
reluctant to get out of the way of
boaters trying to use the ramp.
"Nobody wants to stop them from
enjoying it, but when a boat comes
they should get out of the way,"
Mayor Judy Galloway said
Vamamtown resident and fisher
man Herbert "Midget" Varnum said
Monday he recently had a problem
with a boy who parked his bicycle
on the ramp and refused to move it.
Varnum said he slowly backed his
pickup truck and boat trailer down
the ramp until the child moved the
bike. "I wasn't going to hit the
young'uns' bike but he didn't know
that," he said.
Alderman Will Mumford suggest
ed the town erect a sign saying.
"Public Boat Ramp No Swimming,"
but board members decided to do
nothing for the time being.
"It might work itself out, or maybe
we could speak with some parents if
it really becomes a problem," board
member Ada McDonald said.
Town officials said they don't
think the town could be held liable if
an accident occurred at the ramp.
The town does not own the property,
and is only responsible for mainte
nance of the ramp
"We don't own that land. It's pub
lic trust land and we don't have any
thing to do with it," Mumford said.
Inspection Fees Changed
In other business Monday, alder
men decided to change the way they
will pay mobile home inspector
Maurice Galloway.
Galloway will receive $10 for
I
* * m ^7
Tiny Miss North Littie Miss North
Carolina 4th of July Carolina 4th of July
T)?van Aahlev Johnson
daughter of\hn and Pam John/urn of
Supply. Grandparent* Hotel Johnson
ana the late Marvin Johnnon of
Supply and Joe and Charlotte Walton
Shainn Rno -Jordan
daughter of Ikiry and Joyce Jordan of
Ash Grandparent*. I son a Framtule
and the late Hrnnrtt Frarnntde of A*h
and Ray and Satalie Nicholas of
Supply
each mobile home inspection inside
the town limits and within five miles
of town. For each inspection that re
quires Galloway to travel more than
five miles outside the town, he will
be paid $25.
Galloway has not been receiving
any pay until this month. The town
board put S2S0 in this year's budget
for inspections, and the original plan
was to pay S10 for in-town inspec
tions and $25 for out-of-town in
spections.
"It's too wide open to say $25
outside the town," McDonald said
Monday. "He may inspect a home
across Stanbury Run and it's S25."
Land Use Plan
McDonald also reported Monday
that the preliminary draft of the
town's first land use plan is nearly
completed.
The planning board, which has
been working on the document, will
meet Aug. 1 at 7 p.m. with consult
ing planner Howard Capps of Wilm.
"We basically turned our correc
tions in and we're waiting for him to
produce the final copy." McDonald
said.
LITTLE PROFESSOR
BookcenteR*
LOCAL AUTHORS TO SIGN
? FRIDAY, JULY 15v 2:00-4:00 PM
Meet Franda Pedlow, author of Sand and Sea Fever
A North Carolina native now living in Richmond, Virginia,
Ms. Redlow has written a captivating account of her favorite
place and second home, Holden Beach, focusing on changes,
history and folklore that has evolved over the course of her
years of visiting the area.
? WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 10*0 AM-1:30 PM
"Grandmother Poppy", reading her stories and signing her books!
Wilmington resident, Mary Allred. whose Grandmother
Poppy books have entertained and educated children for two
decades, has created her stories based upon true accounts
with her own grandchildren, providing entertaining reading
and sound teaching curriculum for children in the grade
school-age years.
Don't be a sad face! Mark Your calendar
\r\ J now so you won't miss these authors!
River Run Shopping Center, South port
910-457-9653
What Rain ?
Tyler Bordeaux, age 2, enjoys a dry vantage point under an awning
of beach towels as the N.C. 4th of July Festival parade passes by
last week. His parents David and Gayle Bordeaux made the trip
from their home in Wilmington to enjoy the holiday festivities.
Sunny Point Seeks Input On Dredging
A draft environmental impact
statement has been released assessing
the environmental effects of the har
bor improvement project at Military
Occan Terminal Sunny Point.
Proposed improvements consist
of dredging to deepen the south and
center basins and their entrance
channels from 34 feet to 38 feet
mean low water, plus two feet of
ovenlepth. The dredging will also
widen these entrance channels from
300 to 400 feet. In addition, a por
tion of the center basin will be
widened from current widths of HUO
to 1,000 feet to a new overall width
of 1.500 feet.
Dredged material "probably" will
be disposed of at the Wilmington
Ocean Dredged Material Disposal
Site, three nautical miles offshore in
the Atlantic, according to a MOTSU
news release.
Any modification of that proposal
will be addressed in the final envi
ronmental impact statement, the re
lease states.
The improvements are designed
to accommodate larger, more mod
ern vessels at the terminal. The
changes will allow for safe passage
and maneuvering of deep-draft ves
sels and permit full loading of boats
to their design capacity and draft.
Comments and suggestions must
be received by Aug. 22. To com
ment. call Phil. Payonk at (910)251
45X9.
The Sunny Point terminal is on
the west hank of the Cape Fear
River 25 miles south of Wilmington
and five miles north of Southport.
It is a military port facility de
signed and constructed for the trans
shipment of explosives, munitions
and other materials.
COASTA
FITNESS
Nautilus ? Free Weights ? Aerobics ? Dry Sauna
Karate ? Treadmills ? Lifecycles ? Climbmax
Stepper ? Tanning Beds ? Massage Therapy
Playroom available with full-time sitter
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6 month?-$175 12 months-$300
Vacationers Welcome
Daily and weekly memberships available
AEROBICS 6 DAYS A WEEK
MORNING AND EVENING CLASSES
COASTAL FITNESS
Open 7 days a week
Sellers Rd., behind Resort Plaza ? Shallotte
754-2772
1?4 THE mUM&mCK MACON
served daily Mon.-Pri.
&iea4/eu t Sul/et
Sat. & Sun. 7-11 am
TRY OUR
LUNCHSPECIAL
Chotce of entree and 3 vegetables
$4.25 tea or coffee
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Sunday Lunch Buffet
Served 1 1:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.