BY STEVEN STIEFEL
FOR THE OBSERVER
LEE COUNTY — At the regularly scheduled meeting on March 11, the Lee County Schools Board of Education recognized Teachers of the Year: Beauregard High’s Christy Kirk, Beauregard Elementary’s Kelly Hilyer, Beulah High’s William Wilson, Beulah Elementary’s Jessica McQueen, Loachapoka High’s Olivia Strickland, Loachapoka Elementary’s Valeria Moore, Sanford Middle School’s Jolynn Young, East Smiths Station’s Elizabeth Copous, South Smiths Station’s Casey Collins, Smith Station Junior High’s Caitlin Hodnett and Wacoochee Elementary’s Mary-Elizabeth Youssefi.
The system-wide Secondary Teacher of the Year is Gene Butler of Smiths Station High School, and the Elementary Teacher of the Year Jacqueline Metcalf of West Smiths Station.
Other action:
The board recognized state championship wrestlers from Lee County, including Beauregard’s 5A State Champions Parker VanNoy and Reese Thorn and Smiths Station’s 7A State Champion Eli Sanders.
The board approved out-of-state or overnight field trips for Smiths Station High School’s golf team to go to a tournament April 6-8 in Dothan; for SSHS’s marching band to go to the March 15-18 St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Savannah, Georgia; for a Beauregard High School field trip to the Springer Opera House in Columbus, Georgia, on March 19; for South Smiths Station Elementary’s field trip to Callaway Gardens on March 14; for Beulah High School’s field trip to the Kia Plant in West Point, Georgia, on April 15; for Beulah High School’s golf team to attend the Valley High Golf Tournament on March 13 in West Point, Georgia; for South Smiths Station Elementary’s field trip to Wild Animal Safari in Pine Mountain, Georgia, on April 17; and for Beulah Elementary, East Smiths Station Elementary, South Smiths Station Elementary, Wacooche Elementary, Smiths Station High and Smiths Station Junior High to attend Fort Benning’s Tri-Community Field Day in Columbus.
The board welcomed the new middle grades assistant for Loachapoka High School, Frederick Newton, and Dr. Lisa Harris, the new LCS director of early learning.
The board reviewed the draft for four-day summer work week procedures for June 2-July 25. The practice enables an employee to complete the basic work week requirement of 37.5 hours (or in some cases 40 hours) in less than five full workdays. The traditional work week of five days is compressed into four days by approximately extending the length of the workdays which results in up to one additional day off per work week. All 11- and 12-month employees will participate. The work schedule is not optional. The work hours for 8-hour employees are from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a 30-minute lunch, and the work hours for 7.5-hour employees are from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with a 30-minute lunch. No overtime is allowed without the superintendent’s prior permission. All employees are expected to work within the scheduled hours according to work schedule. According to the document, the 4-Day Work Week summer Schedule will not adversely affect the services that are provided to students, schools, other operating units, co-workers or the public. The quantity, quality and timelines of employee work must be enhanced or maintained.
The board approved textbook adoptions for arts, AV, communications, health services, human science, human services, forensic science and science, as coordinated with the State Department of Education.
The board reviewed the monthly financial statements with Chief School Financial Officer Ken Roberts. He said the most critical takeaway from the statements is General Fund activity. A third of the way through the school year, the county has spent 33.9% of the General Fund budget. That period included a one-time $1.2 million payment for building insurance. Roberts said the county system is on track at this point.