In a short meeting of the DeKalb County Board of Education last Thursday evening, presided over by Vice Chairman Kenny Rhody in the absence board Charles Robinson, Director of Schools Mark Willoughby reported that the Smithville Elementary School building has been thoroughly inspected by structural engineers, and found to be safe for the public to enter after the recent storm damage to the structure.
"A structural engineer has said we can go back into the building,” Willoughby told the assembly. “Mr Bill Tanner will be getting the word out to everybody about when they can come back and pick up report cards, but as far as the safety of the building and going back in, its safe.
“The roof damage was the main thing that we had,” Willoughby continued, “Unless there is something unforeseen, we will be able to open that school by our opening date."
Concerning updates to the science lab at the DCHS, Willoughby said "Our maintenance crew has worked really hard on getting that room ready for new equipment to come in.
“There's about a six-week lead time for all the furniture, lab tables, and things like that to come in,” he went on, “but there's a lot of work that must be done before that, and this work is being done now.
“We can get all that on a state bid and not have to bid that out. Right now we're looking at around $70,000 just for the things we need to bring that room up to date. Its going to be less than $80,000," Willoughby concluded.
The board has had no offers on six out of service county school buses declared as surplus property and offered to be sold by sealed bid in April.
Willoughby suggested to the board that in consideration of the high price of scrap metal, the buses might be sold to a recycler if it’s legal to do so.
Willoughby said the buses might bring just as much money by selling them to a scrap yard. If the scrap price offer is not sufficient the buses can be re-bid.
Rhody gave special thanks to recent DCHS graduate Samantha Lewis for her service as the school board's non-voting student representative for the 2010-2011 school year.
Willoughby also presented the monthly personnel update during meeting, saying that Amy Fox has resigned as a part-time employee in the Response to Intervention Program, and that DCHS teacher Brittany Willoughby was granted a leave of absence as requested.
He also reported that Peggy Pursell, Transportation Manager and Kristen Van Vranken, a teacher at Northside Elementary School were accidentally left off the 2011-12 personnel list last month.
In other business, the board gave approval for the DCHS Boys Soccer team to use the high school facilities to host a youth soccer camp this summer. The dates of the camp will be July 12-15.
Permission was granted for the DeKalb County FFA to attend Leadership on the River Leadership Camp this summer from June 14-16.
The board also approved a request for the DCHS football cheerleaders to attend the NCA cheerleading camp at Vanderbilt University July 18-21.