Rick Patrick: Greene Publishing, Inc.
During the regular meeting of the Madison County District School Board on Tuesday, Sept. 19, the Board voted to revise the school calendar in order to make up days lost during Hurricane Irma. Madison County schools were out the entire week of Sept. 11 – 15. Three of these days were going to have to be made up. Wednesday, Sept. 20 was originally scheduled to be an “early release” day. That day was changed to a full day. Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 20 and 21, were scheduled to be holidays ahead of the Thanksgiving Holiday. Those days will now be full school days. The only other change to the schedule was the change of Tuesday, Dec. 19 from a early release day to a full day of school. “We really wanted to get these days made up during the first semester,” said Board Chairman Bart Alford.
The Board also approved the consent agenda. Items on the consent agenda included minutes from previous meetings, agreements with United Data Technologies for a Professional Services statement of work and Office 365 migration, GED requests, an assistive technology procedural handbook, a Memorandum of Understanding with the District Board of Trustees of North Florida Community College and grant-and categorically-funded staff trips.
Staff trips paid out of the general fund and out-of-county student field trips were approved.
Dr. Pickles informed the Board of a fundraiser the Madison County High School band is undertaking. Students and band parents are selling tickets for a drawing to be held at a later date for half a steer. The steer is being donated by Deep Roots Meat and processing is being donated by L&W Processing. Tickets are $10 each, and all proceeds will go to help the band with uniforms, travel expenses, etc. The approximate value is $1,400.
A total of 67 screened school volunteers were approved. Personnel changes were approved.
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Karen Pickles informed the Board that Madison County Central School served as a storm shelter for over 600 people during the recent hurricane. She expressed gratitude to those school employees who came out to help. She also said she would be meeting with Emergency Management personnel to devise a better plan to put into place.
The next scheduled meeting of the Madison County District School Board will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 3, at 6 p.m. in the Board meeting room at 210 NE Duval Ave., in Madison.