By Betsy Finklea
The Dillon District Two School Board held their final meeting on June 20th before the district becomes Dillon District Four on July 1st.
Chairman Fitzgerald Lytch and trustees Mike McRae, Burt Rogers, Ethel Taylor and Alex Lewis were in attendance.
Superintendent Ray Rogers gave a construction update. He said that he, Business Manager Art McMillan, Rodney Alexander of Cumming Southern Management, Dillon County Board Chair Richard Schafer and Rep. Jackie Hayes met. He said they had some value engineering to go through. Rogers said prices have escalated, and they are trying to take a look at many possibilities.
Rogers said in Lake View they have a great deal of asbestos to remove. The cafeteria needs work, but that will not happen until next summer.
At the Dillon Middle School site, a retention pond is being dug, and the dirt is being used to make the pad for the new middle school and the tennis courts. The price on asphalt has escalated to no end, Rogers said.
Rogers said he feels like they will be fine, but they will continue their efforts to get the best possible construction prices.
Art McMillan gave a budget update. The balance of all funds is $4,819,802.32 as of 5/31/11.
Dr. Alice Grice gave the tentative Title I Fiscal Year 2012 budget report, which was approved by the board. The tentative amount to be budgeted is $2,985,572.
The budget consists of the following:
Required Set-aside Funds
Supplemental Educational Services (20%) 497,115.00
Improvement- Professional Development (10%) 248,558.00
Parenting (1%) 9.354.00
Highly Qualified (5%) 5,000.00
Supervision 255.366.00
Homeless 5,000.00
Parenting/Community Services 7,086.00
Operation/Maintenance 35,000.00
Indirect Cost 114,069.00
Schools 1,809,024.00
Stewart Heights (96.62% poverty) 326,955.00
South (95.96% poverty) 232,760.00
Gordon (91.23% poverty) 522,725.00
JVM (89.95% poverty) 259,234.00
East (89.20% poverty) 273,030.00
Lake View Elementary (87.70%) 194,320.00
The board also approved the tentative School Improvement Grant Fiscal Year 2012 budget breakdown for J.V. Martin Junior High School.
FY12 Preliminary Allocation $594,681.00
FY11 Estimated Carryover by account
Instructional Program Improvement $0.55
Instructional Supplies $6,519.95
Temp. Salaries $70,272.50
Travel $23,710.47
Total Preliminary FY11 Carryover $100,503.47
Total Preliminary Available FY12 SIG Funds $695,184.47
Salaries/Stipends (100) $305,382.00
Employee Benefits (200) $78,283.00
Purchased Services (300) $82,510.00
Supplies and Materials (400) $201,718.00
Scholastic $47,984.00
Scholastic-Math Inventory $31,298.00
Indirect Costs (700) $27,291.00
Total Year 2 (FY12) Budget $695,184.00
Dr. Grice said they:
-decreased Year 2 travel by $10,000. She said they had a large amount of carryover this year.
-decreased stipends by $20,000. There are two kinds given: 1) for attendance and 2) for student achievement. There was a large carryover this year.
-decreased benefits by $10,000. The decrease in the stipends decrease the benefits.
-increased supplies and materials by $40,000.
-changed teacher attendance stipends to monthly. Dr. Grice said that very few teachers achieved the semester perfect attendance so the State Department of Education recommended that they give a stipend for a teacher’s monthly perfect attendance. Since this is a grant only 7th and 8th grade teachers qualify. They will try to make the bonuses so that a teacher clears $100.
The board approved the following personnel recommendations as presented by Dr. Polly Elkins.
Recommendations for the 2011-2012 School Year: Kayla Adkins, teacher; Ashleigh Baxley, teacher; Amber Blackman, teacher; Kristen Burgess, teacher; Janice Dargan, teacher; Carole Anne Elmahdy, teacher; Ellen Gerald, teacher; Myrna Legett, teacher; Deborah Outlaw, teacher; Brittany Simpson, teacher; Aubry Stegall, teacher, and Anna Walden, teacher.
Rehired Retiree Recommendations for the 2011-2012 School Year: Mary Louise Bethea, assistant; Dorothy Hamilton, assistant; and Sandy Herring.
Resignations at the end of the 2010-2011 School Year: Sylvia Locklear, teacher; Mark Chickering, teacher; Duncan McLaurin, assistant; and Anthony Smith, assistant.
Rehired Retiree Not Returning for the 2011-2012 School Year: Linda McKenzie, teacher; and Mickie Moody.
The Dillon District Two board budget and school lunch was discussed.
The board members were presented plaques for their service to the board.
