by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer
At the Sept. 14 meeting of the Franklin County Board of Education, the board approved a letter addressed to the Franklin County Commission, county mayor and county attorney asking the county to release $2.5 million in funds reserved for school system debt service to pay off the debt for the new high school. The board also elected officers and approved a contribution to the health savings plans of school system employees.
Summarizing the history of the request for release of the debt service repayment funds, board chair Kevin Caroland said in 2011 the county commission passed a resolution capping annual sales tax revenue released to the schools at $3.9 million, reserving the excess for debt service repayment. Law stipulates the school system receive 50 percent of sales tax. According to the school district’s attorney, the county does not have the right to determine how the school district spends sales tax revenue.
The amount held in reserve is sufficient to pay off the debt for the new high school, Caroland said, a debt the school system has been paying off at the rate of $250,000 annually. The letter asks the county commission to abolish the sales tax cap and release the debt-service funds held in reserve for high school debt repayment.
Caroland and CleiJo Walker were re-elected to serve as board chair and vice chair, respectively, for the 2015–16 school year.
Franklin County Deputy Finance Director Cynthia Latham reviewed the Health Savings Plan insurance option recently approved by the state and now available to school system employees. Premiums are significantly lower, Latham said, but employees considering a Health Savings Plan needed to take into account the significantly higher deductible and maximum out-of-pocket expenses, totaling $4,850 annually for a family. The school system would see an average savings of $165 per month for each employee who adopts the plan. The board voted to contribute the savings to employees health savings accounts if they switched to a health savings plan.
Addressing the concern of school principals that their schools did not have the technology resources needed for students to practice for the new Common Core testing protocol, in which all testing is done on the computer. Franklin County Director of Schools Amie Lonas said she would work with Latham to try to find money in the budget to address the need. Lonas estimated the cost at $140,000.
Updating the board on the status of the Air Force Junior ROTC program, Franklin County High School Principal Greg Mantooth said currently the school system funded the program which had one instructor and 49 students. To qualify for ROTC funding the program needed two instructors and 100 students.
The ROTC will terminate the program at the end of the year if the school system did not meet the criterion, Lonas said. Caroland asked Lonas to investigate ways of boosting enrollment if the school system hired an additional instructor.
Huntland girls soccer coach Brian Norcross asked the board to consider purchasing six acres across from Huntland School for use as a playing and practice field. The team currently practices on the baseball outfield, hampering the team’s performance when they compete on a standard size field at games. The board expressed provisionary approval for the purchase and asked for more information on drainage needs and rezoning.
On the recommendation of a middle school coach, Lonas asked the board to consider revising the student-athlete drug testing policy and to switch to using urine analysis or fingernail analysis instead of hair sample analysis, which some students find objectionable. The analysis requires 40–50 hairs cut from the scalp line, 1.5 inches in length. Lonas will draft a revised drug testing policy and present it to the board for review.
In keeping with Lonas’ decision to give the board the opportunity to visit area schools, the board met at Broadview Elementary School. Lonas congratulated Broadview for earning TCAP Reward School designation.
The board scheduled a working session on Oct. 5 and the next regular meeting on Oct. 12.
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