Gordon County Schools approves FY24 ESS contracts
Gordon County Schools had their first meeting after spring break on Monday night.
The meeting kicked off by recognizing Kristi Langham, Gordon County Schools’ Nurse of the Year. Langham has spent nine years with GCS, and 21 in the medical field overall.
“Nominated by nurses across Gordon County Schools, Ms. Kristi Langham was recognized for her knowledge, kindness, and the overall impact she has made in the lives of students of Gordon County Schools,” said GCS Communications Coordinator Kendra Pannell.
The three finalists for Teacher of the Year — Jacqueline Cascio from Red Bud Middle, India Bennett from W.L. Swain Elementary, and Christy Smith from Fairmount Elementary — were also given the nod. The Teacher of the Year will be announced May 4 at 6 p.m. alongside other staff members who will be honored for their service to county schools.
Director of Human Resources Allen Bowen also gave an update on hirings and separations throughout the school system. In this school year, there have been 30 resignations and 20 retirements. Bowen discussed the ways the school system has worked to retain teachers — including pay, supplements, and more — as well as hire on new ones.
The final item before voting items was a review of the Governance Team Self Assessment, where school board members assessed how they had done as a board over the year. While several items had at least one “Needs Improvement” vote, no additional comments were offered on most items.
One suggestion board member Christie Fox offered was that when the board of education evaluates its’ superintendent’s performance — or any performance — board members should offer “specific constructive feedback” when giving a rating below “meets expectations”.
“I don’t rate that unless I can give them specific constructive feedback because you’ve got to let people know how they can improve,” said Fox.
Board member Dana Stewart offered her support for Fox’s comment.
There were two items up for a vote.
First, the board looked at their 2023-24 Board Operating Protocols. That dictates how the board operates. Board operating protocols can be found on eBoard on the Gordon County Schools website. Those were approved 5-1, with board member Eddie Hall opposing.
The board also approved their FY24 ESS contracts. Those contracts allow for contracted workers to continue to provide services to special needs students throughout the school district, including nursing, sign language interpreters, and more. Some of the funding for that, $325,000, will come from IDEA funds while the rest will come from the general fund. Those were unanimously approved.
Upcoming events include a budget work session on Monday, April 24 starting at 6 p.m. and their next regular board meeting on Monday, May 8 at 6 p.m. Both those meetings will take place at Gordon County College and Career Academy, 305 Beamer Road.
For more information on Gordon County Schools, visit gcbe.org.