New members join OC school board

Posted: Wednesday, September 8, 2010 9:09 pm
By: Chris Menees, Staff Reporter

By CHRIS MENEES
Staff Reporter
The Obion County School Board has a new look.
Board member Brian Rainey was elected chair-man during Tuesday night’s monthly school board meeting at Black Oak Elementary School in Hornbeak.
He succeeds longtime chairman Roger Williams, who did not seek re-election in the county general election last month.
Rainey was nominated as chairman by school board member David Lamb and his recommendation was unanimously approved by the seven-member panel.
Board member Diane Sanderson was unanimously elected vice chairman after being nominated by board member Susan Williams, while Lamb was unanimously re-elected chair pro tem following nomination by new board member Willis Easley.
Rainey serves the Hornbeak, Cloverdale and Elbridge areas as District 5 board member; Ms. Sanderson serves the Kenton, Mason Hall and Rives areas as District 3 representative; and Lamb serves South Fulton as District 1 board member.
Tuesday night’s meeting opened with the swearing-in of three newly-elected board members — Tim Partin, Fritz Fussell and Easley. They were administered their oaths of office by Obion County General Sessions Judge Jimmy Smith, who formerly served as the board’s vice chairman. (See related photo, Page 2.)
The three board members were elected during the August county general election, with Partin win-ning the District 2 seat (Woodland Mills), formerly held by Roger Williams; Fussell the District 6 seat (Troy and Obion), formerly held by Smith prior to his appointment as judge; and Easley the District 4 seat (Union City and Harris Station), formerly held by Glynn Giffin, who resigned earlier this year for to health reasons. Fussell had been filling out Smith’s unexpired term on the board before being elected to a full term last month.
Smith said serving on the school board is “one of the most challenging and rewarding things” the new board members will ever do. He said it was an honor for him to return to administer the oaths and he praised the school system for its “tremendous” staff and students.
In other action during Tuesday night’s meeting, which was opened with prayer led by Fussell, the school board:
• Approved a consent agenda that included a monthly personnel report, monthly approval of substitute teachers and monthly financial reports.
The personnel report listed the hirings of Amanda Sutton as an educational assistant at Lake Road Elementary, Megan Hendrix as an educational assistant at Ridgemont Elementary, Amanda Wilder as a teacher at South Fulton Elementary, Mandy Brewer as a teacher at Ridgemont, Tonya Cochran as a teacher at Obion County Central High School, Tim Barbour as a paraprofessional assistant soccer coach at OCCHS, Cara Crow as a paraprofessional assistant soccer coach at South Fulton High School, Robin Long as a teacher at Black Oak, Victoria Bryan as a teacher at OCCHS and Shawn Newsome as a custodian at Ridgemont.
It listed the retirement of Lynn Rainey as an educational assistant at Black Oak and a leave of absence for Hillcrest Elementary teacher Shannon Pruitt.
The substitute teachers added for the month included Travis VanHooser, Kandy Morphis, Bethany Seratt, Allison Baldwin, Judy Runions, Mary Ann Burress, Mary Spivey, Kacee Eaves, Shanna Duren, Lisa Robertson, Nicole Sudberry, Elizabeth Anne Hampton, Regina Jowers, Bryan Wyrick, Amanda Morrow, Claudine Ivy, Connie Mann, Matthew Wohlfarth, Tela Cole, Mixon Moore and Antoinette Lewis.
• Approved the second and final reading of an amendment to board policy regarding inventories as a result of new regulations/guidelines for accountability of equipment and inventory issued by the Divisions of Federal Programs and Special Education of the Tennessee Department of Education.
• Appointed Ms. Sanderson, Fussell and central office staff member Nancy Hamilton to serve on the school system’s Ethics Committee.
• Approved the Extended Contract Program proposal for the 2010-11 school year. The total amount allocated to the system by the state for the school year is $66,200, the same amount as last school year.
• Approved certification of compliance to the state Department of Education to show that the school system is in compliance with state law regarding the furnishing of textbooks and other instructional materials.
• Adopted on first reading an amendment to board policy regarding registered sex offenders as a result of changes recommended by the Tennessee School Boards Association (TSBA).
• Approved on first readings amendments to board policy regarding the procedure for granting tenure, separation practices for non-tenured teachers and policy development and adoption, all as a result of changes recommended by the TSBA to reflect action taken during the last legislative session.
• Approved on first reading an amendment to board policy regarding student alcohol and drug testing, effective July 1, 2011, also recommended by the TSBA to reflect the latest legislative action. Board members wanted additional time to review the policy and ensure everything is in place before it takes effect for the next school year.
• Appointed an Agri-culture Committee for OCCHS’ $150,000 Agri-culture Enhancement Grant from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, as recommended by Obion County Director of Schools David Huss to ensure all aspects for the second phase of agriculture improvements are considered. The committee includes Rainey and Partin, representing the board; systemwide staff member James Faulkner; Russ Davis, vocational director; OCCHS principal Linda Crigger; ag teachers Lynsey Butler and Nick Lucas; and Lyn Maloney and Kenneth Barnes, members of the Vocational Advisory Committee.
• Appointed Fussell to the Athletic Advisory Committee following the acceptance of Rainey’s resignation from the committee due to time constraints and other school projects.
• Approved requests from Black Oak Elementary to declare property surplus and dispose of it via the most economical method. The items include old jerseys, uniforms and gym bags that are outdated and no longer being used in the athletic programs. They will be sold through a fundraiser to help offset the costs of future purchases for the athletic program.
• Approved overnight students trips for OCCHS’ FFA chapter to an officer retreat and SFHS’ Beta Club to state convention.
Staff Reporter Chris Menees may be contacted by e-mail at cmenees@ucmessenger.com.
Published in The Messenger 9.8.10