The Lowndes County School District Board of Trustees approved the hire of a new business manager, appointed a new principal at Caledonia High School and approved a technology fee for students at Friday’s board meeting.
New hires
Kenneth Hughes, the former long term business manager for the Columbus Municipal School District has been hired to fill the same role at LCSD. Hughes was fired from the district in May 2013, after a confrontation with then-CMSD superintendent Dr. Martha Liddell over her alleged mis-allocation of district finances. Hughes filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the district, which was settled out-of-court on April 15 for an undisclosed amount.
Hughes will earn $89,000 per year at LCSD. Current business manager Lotis Johnson is leaving the district to pursue other employment.
William Barnett is retiring as principal at Caledonia High School. The board approved CHS assistant principal Andy Stevens to serve as the school’s leader. He will earn $90,000 per year.
1-to-1 initiative
Dr. Robin Ballard addressed the board about the 1-to-1 digital learning initiative, which will provide portable electronic devices such as iPads to each child in the district. She proposed all students who are not registered for free or reduced priced lunches pay a $25 technology fee. Ballard said Clinton School District and Oxford School District, both of which have heavily influenced LCSD’s 1-to-1 plan, charge technology fees for their students of $50 and $75 respectively. She said a $25 fee is more appropriate for LCSD based on the socio-economic standard within the district.
The technology fee is used to cover any repairs or replacements that are needed. Ballard said Apple advises school districts there is a one percent breakage and loss rate.
“If 50 percent of parents pay that ($25) fee, that’s 2,500 students, giving us a pool of $62,000,” Ballard said.
All students will also receive new backpacks designed with holsters to carry their electronic devices from the district. The technology fee would also cover a lifetime warranty on the backpacks.
Board member Wesley Barrett suggested charging a $5 fee for students with free and reduced lunch, to encourage a sense of ownership, but Ballard said the district would use the federal database of students declared low-income to ensure those who could not afford the fee would not be charged. Technology fees are common throughout 1-to-1 initiatives nationwide.
“We were always going to charge a fee, that’s what all districts with technology do,” Ballard said.
Barrett’s motion to approve the $25 technology fee, which was seconded by Brain Clark, was unanimously approved.
Construction, bond updates
District architect Joey Henderson gave the board an update on several ongoing projects.
He said the New Hope field house is nearing completion, with an expected finish date of June 30.
Construction on the new Caledonia Elementary School continues to be around 60 days behind schedule, due to heavy rain this spring. Test piers were successful at the site and dirt work is being completed.
Standard and Poors will be visiting Lowndes County June 22 to readjust the district’s credit rating. Once the new credit rating has been issued, LCSD will begin the process of issuing the $44 million worth of bonds approved in the May 12 election.
Henderson also presented the board options for the location of the career-technical center in executive session. No action was taken. Henderson has asked the board to make a site selection by the end of August.
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