MCHS construction bid under budget

The Madison County School board approved a bid by Charles Black Construction for the new Madison County High School addition and renovations.

The bid came in at $16.6 million - $1.8 million under budget. The school system plans to use approximately $1.3 million of the remaining funds to repair and/or replace roofs at Ila Elementary, the Freshman Academy, Danielsville Elementary and Comer Elementary.

Construction at the high school is slated to begin this month, with a target completion date of August 2014.

The board also approved a $147,763 bid to asphalt the ag center parking lot across the road from the board office on Madison Street. The school system will utilize the parking lot during the upcoming 2-year construction project.

In other business, Loren Metts was hired as the school system’s new homeless/migrant student liaison, which is a new position funded by state grants to assist the growing number of students from homeless and/or migrant worker families. Metts currently serves as a paraprofessional at the middle school.

Comer Elementary School will host a dedication ceremony and ribbon cutting for its new addition and renovations on Sunday, Nov. 4, at 2 p.m.


Superintendent Dr. Allen McCannon reported that more students in the state are taking, and passing, advanced placement exams. He cited a letter from State School Superintendent Dr. John Barge, who said that the number of students in Georgia taking the AP exams increased by eight percent this year alone, and was up 38 percent over the last five years. Scores were also up significantly among minority students over the last five years, McCannon noted.

OTHER PERSONNEL RECOMMENDATIONS

The following personnel recommendations were approved by the board Tuesday night.

Comer Elementary – Medical leave was approved for clerical worker Susie Sarna.

Colbert Elementary – Amanda Williams was transferred from paraprofessional to teacher. Diana Gaillard was hired as a paraprofessional. Teacher Sandi Brubaker was approved for an unpaid leave.

Ila Elementary – Debbie Morris was approved for FMLA medical leave to care for a parent and paraprofessional Ali Roberts was approved for an unpaid leave.

MCMS – Custodian James Curry was approved for an unpaid medical leave.

MCHS – Teacher Dan Lampe was approved leave without pay and teacher Becky Bundy was approved for maternity leave.

Transportation – James Haynes was hired as a bus driver and former bus drivers Andrew Huff, Wesley Jordan and Jennifer Harden were hired as call in/trip bus drivers.

Bus driver Terry Herring was approved leave without pay.

School nutrition – Marsha Lee was approved an unpaid leave and Renee Haley was approved for FMLA leave.