The Ware County Board of Education approved earlier this month purchase of five heating, ventilation and air conditioning units as well as two maintenance vehicles.
Total expenditures for the HVAC units was $45,360. The maintenance vehicles expenditure totaled $128,162.
All of the purchases will be funded from the general budget.
The board also approved payroll disbursements August 30 in the amount of $6,552,214.49.
Enrollment in the system as of September 3 totaled 5,959 students compared to 5,957 students at the same time last year.
All board members were present for the meeting, held Tuesday, September 10 at the board offices. A work session, Monday, September 9 preceded the business meeting.
Present were Chairman Denton Dial as well as members Vice-Chairman Barry Deas, Karen Ethridge, Rusty Ganas, Alisa “Toni” Nelson, Edward Tyre, Brandi Waters, and Superintendent Bert Smith.
One of the HVAC units will be for the cafeteria at Ruskin Elementary in the amount of $23,040. The other units will replace those elsewhere in the county that are near the end of their lifespan or beyond repair, board members were told.
The vehicles approved for purchase were a 2024 Ford F250 and a 2024 Ford F350. Both will be bought under the state contract pricing.
There was an executive session to discuss or deliberate upon the appointment, employment, compensation, hiring, disciplinary action or dismissal, or periodic evaluation or rating of a public officer or employee or to interview applicants for the position of superintendent.
After the executive session, the board returned to the public meeting. Dial made a motion to name Dr. Lynn Barber as the sole finalist for the position of superintendent.
Barber, currently Assistant Superintendent and Director of the county’s Career, Technical and Agriculture Education program, will replace Smith beginning December 1. Smith announced his retirement earlier this year after serving more than five years in the post.
In other business, the board approved:
• Request to amend the 2024-2025 school calendar to include another Professional Learning Day on October 4. This time will be used for teacher planning and professional learning for new math curriculum requirements.
• MOU with the Waycross Gators United Soccer Club for use of the soccer complex fields and restrooms in the concession building only.
• Request to continue the MOU with Unison Behavioral Health for the 2024-2025 school year for the provision of behavioral health services school system.
• Fiscal Year 2024-25 Foster Care Transportation Plan with the Department of Family and Children Services. The plan ensures educational stability of children in foster care.
• Continuation of the MOU with the Department of Juvenile Justice for the 2024-2025 school year. This is for the provision of a school-based probation program for youth under court supervision.
• Requests for field trips from Daffodil Pre-K, Wacona Elementary, Waycross Middle School, Ware County High School and the district-wide WINGS program.
• Requests for fundraisers from Center Elementary, Memorial Drive Elementary, Ruskin Elementary, Wacona Elementary, Waresboro Elementary, Ware County Middle School,Waycross Middle School, Ware County High School, and the Central Office Special Education Department.
• Request from the Rivers Foundation for bus transportation to Atlanta for a college preview and a Braves game, with a waiver of fees.
• Request to add a full-time kindergarten teacher and a para-pro position to be filled for SY24-25 because of increased enrollment at Ruskin Elementary. The positions will be funded by QBE after earning FTE segments.
Personnel report Classified
• Employment: Mary Hicks, Para-pro, Daffodil; Shelby McBee, Para-pro, Wacona; Naomi Sweat, CDL Trainee, Transportation; Ahalana Taylor, SpEd Parapro, Wacona.
• Transfer: Marisa Tillman, Intra System Transfer from Para-pro, Williams Heights to Daffodil.
• Resignation: Vincient Rawls, Bus Monitor, Transportation (effective September 3); Lauren Saunders, SpEd Para-pro, Waresboro (effective September 20).
• Separation: Robert Hunter Thomas, Bus Driver (effective August 27).
Certified
• Employment: Dee Treadwell, Math Teacher, Ware Middle; Jessica Boland, SpEd Co Teacher, Ware High (Pending fingerprint).
• Coaching: Brandon Foster, Assistant Wrestling Coach, Ware High.
• Work Based Learning student: Antoniha Victoria, Nutrition, Ware High (effective August 26).
