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By Bethany Stephens
The Board of Education met Monday for their March session where they recognized Elizabethtown Middle School’s Soccer Team, Elizabethtown Middle School’s Girls’ Basketball Team, and Elizabethtown Middle School’s Boys’ Basketball Team for winning the Bladen 5 Conference Championship in their respective sports.
Serenity Flakes and Yasmine Benson of Tar Heel Middle were both recognized for winning first place in the Junior Technology Division of the Region 4 Science and Engineering Fair at UNC Pembroke. In addition to winning first place, they earned a $1,000 scholarship for also winning the Chemistry and Physics Departmental Award and Best Overall Project Award. From West Bladen High School, Brenda Dimas-Lopez and Gerardo Cristabol won first place in the Senior Biology Division and received a $500 scholarship from the McDonald’s Corporation.
Tar Heel Middle’s Battle of the Books team was recognized for winning the 2018 County-Level Battle of the Books Championship.
Cate DeVane, student at Clarkton School of Discovery, and Lainey Autry, student at Bladenboro Middle, were both recognized for being elected to serve as Junior Beta Club state officers. DeVane will serve as their secretary, and Autry will serve as their chaplain.
Lastly, during the recognition portion of the meeting, attendance awards were presented to three schools. Plain View Primary won in the Elementary School Division; Tar Heel Middle won in the Middle School Division, and East Bladen High School won in the High School Division.
Sgt. Gary Turlington addressed the board on behalf of the Sheriff’s Department concerning safety training that they have been doing – especially in preparation for evacuating and/or protecting people in the case of a violent incident. Turlington outlined various training that they have received since 2015 which includes, but is not limited to, training on how to de-escalate a situation with minimal physical force and scenario based training at the former prison camp at White Lake. The Sheriff’s Department is also scheduled to practice these on-site scenarios at both Elizabethtown Middle and Paul R. Brown Academy in 2018. Turlington asked the board to please consider allowing the Sheriff’s Department to use the former Booker T. Washington Primary for more of this type of training in the future after it is closed.
The board received a financial summary for information purposes only from Finance Director Sharon Penny. Maintenance Director Lou Nelon gave an update on progress on the construction of a grant-funded agricultural lab/barn at East Bladen High School and roofing projects in Bladenboro. Four vendors met Monday to bid on the work for the agriculture project, and all bids are due in by March 21. The lab will be completed by next school year. The roofing projects are all but complete other than a final inspection and some minor work on some soffits.
Dropout Prevention Coordinator Kimbrie Esters gave a dropout prevention report. Dropout rates across the state and also in Bladen County have increased. Some of the dropout numbers count students that left school to go to the community college but that had a gap in their enrollment. Only continuous enrollment (without any gaps such as taking a semester off) does not officially count towards the dropout rate.
The board discussed possibly allowing 5th grade students from areas outside of Clarkton School of Discovery’s district to apply to attend after consolidation takes place as grades 6 through 8 are already allowed to. The board was open to either outcome but seemed to currently lean towards 5th graders across the county continuing to attend the middle school in their district until they choose in the 6th grade to either stay or transfer to Clarkton.
Fundraisers and overnight field trips that were not announced at the meeting were approved all together, and Fall Custom Updates that had been tabled last month were approved.
An application for lottery funds for roofing projects in Bladenboro was approved as well as general budget amendments as recommended by Penny, the finance director, in order to align the county’s expenditures though no specifics were given. A revised bed bug policy as recommended by Dr. Robert Heavenridge, director of School Support Services, was approved though no concrete policy was given.
Retesting for students that didn’t score proficient during state testing will be retested June 13-14 and will be given remediation on June 11-12. Transportation for the students isn’t being provided by the county, but lunch during those days will be.
The board approved a renewal of the contract they have with Dell Financial Services to provide and service the county’s Chromebooks that they use in conjunction with their 1:1 program that provides tablets to students. The approved contract will last for three years and will cost the board less than it did previously.
The board agreed to move their April meeting to April 16 – the third Monday instead of their usual 2nd Monday meeting. Following the approval, the board proceded to go into closed session to discuss personnel, student transfers, and legal matters.
Upon reconvening into open session and before adjourning for the evening, Superintendent Dr. Robert Taylor told the board about a fair that will inform people about the Exceptional Children’s Programs and services on March 22.
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