As the beginning of school approaches in the Columbia School District, construction crews are busy working to finish many of the renovations.
During the July 18 Columbia School District Board of Trustees meeting, Superintendent Jason Harris and Construction Administrator Mark Henley updated the Board on the current work.
The Board also approved a change order to add a canopy for the drop-off area at Columbia Primary School at a cost of $32,970.
The projects are being funded by a nearly $10 million bond issue passed by voters in 2016. Bad weather has forced the start of school to be pushed back to Aug. 7 for students.
“Things are coming along in certain locations and we’re a little behind in others,” Harris said. “We are coming along at the middle school. All the floors are in and the bathrooms are finishing up. The storefront office will be addressed next week. The primary school is coming along and they are actually doing cleanup work there. The only thing I think we’ll be lacking there are the seats in the auditorium, but things are really coming along. The kitchen work is wrapping up.”
Harris continued his update with discussions about renovations at Columbia High School.
“They’ll have the band hall ready for the students and the practice field ready on Aug. 7, that Monday,” he said. “They will be working on the grade and dirt work on the field beginning Monday. After that, it will be up to the weather, once they put the sod down.”
Henley said dry weather for a few days, followed by rain, would help the practice field work.
Harris then spoke about work at Columbia Elementary School.
“That’s probably our biggest concern,” he said. “There is currently no power and the power will be restored Friday. The big thing will be getting the kitchen together and the new wing.”
The Board also decided to use bond issue funds to assist with the installation of replacement windows at Columbia High School. They are under warranty and the District had planned to spend School Improvement Fund money to fund the portion not covered under the warranty. The issue with MSI/Pozzi has been ongoing over the past year and the windows are now slated to be installed on July 29 at a cost of $42,275. The Board unanimously approved using bond funds to pay for the work.
In other business, the Board:
• Approved the 2017-2018 Ad Valorem tax request worksheet.
• Adopted the FY2018 Budget.
• Adopted a resolution requesting an Ad Valorem tax levy of 4 percent for the 2017-18 school year.
• Approved requests for permission to use the services of Mississippi School Pictures to take school pictures at Jefferson Middle School, Columbia Elementary School and Columbia Primary School for the 2017-2018 school year.
• Approved the request for permission to use the services of Bruckner’s Photography to take senior portraits, school day pictures, prom pictures, and graduation pictures at Columbia High School for the 2017-18 school year and Chris Turnage Photography to take additional pictures needed for Columbia High School throughout the 2017-18 school year and to complete the 2017-18 CoHiAn.
• Approved requests to conduct the following fundraisers: Columbia High School Football Team to sell chicken plates Aug. 10, Jefferson Middle School Cheer Booster Club to host a movie showing at Marion Theater Aug. 12, Jefferson Middle School to sell Spirit Cards Aug. 28 through Sept. 22, and Columbia Elementary School PTA to sell World’s Finest Chocolate August through September, and to sell gourmet popcorn March and April 2018.
• Granted approval to dispose of one Snapper push mower, tag# 4101, purchased 07/12/2002, that is beyond repair.
• Accepted a grant awarded by
www.DonorsChoose.org for sensory equipment valued at $1,725 for Jennifer Ratliff’s classroom at Columbia Primary School.
• Approved requests to dispose of financial records prior to the 2011 fiscal year and federal program records through fiscal year 2008.
• Accepted a student released from the Walthall County School District as a tuition student for the 2017-18 school year.
• Released a student to attend school in the Covington County School District where the parent is employed as a teacher for the 2017-18 school year.
• Approved the 2017-18 Dropout Prevention Plan.
• Gave first approval of School Board Policy GABBA Social Media and revised policy IFBDAA Technology Acceptable Use.
• Approved the District School Board Policy Manual for fiscal year 2018.
• Granted authorization to enter into the following student services agreements: Canopy Children’s Solutions for students placed at CARES School in Hattiesburg Aug. 1 through July 31, 2018; Visual Sense Education Consulting, LLC from July 1 through June 30, 2018; and Rosemont Consulting, LLC from July 1 through June 30, 2018.
The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Columbia School District Board of Trustees is set for 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 10 at the District offices on Bryan Avenue.
City School District personnel actions
• Accepted the employment resignation of Tyler Phillips, maintenance worker; Samantha Meidl, bus driver; and Dawn Dias, teacher at Jefferson Middle School, for the purpose of retirement.
• Approved the employment of the persons listed below for the 2017-2018 school year:
• Beth Pierce as a French teacher at Columbia High School (Pierce will teach one semester class of French II.);
• Amy Terrell, Michael Novinski, Jennifer Terrell, Rhonda Gaughf, Shelley Putnam, and LeAnna Calhoun, PLC Chairpersons, to work one non-contract workday prior to the start of school on Aug. 2 for the purpose of planning professional development at Columbia High School for the 2017-18 school year;
• Jamie Morgan as a special education teacher at Jefferson Middle School pending special education certification and the results of a current background check as required by State law;
• Toni Johnson as a cook/server at Jefferson Middle, Tara Barnett as a cook/server at Columbia High School, Karissa Kendricks as a cook/server at Columbia Elementary School, and Rhonda Robbins as a cook/server at Columbia Elementary School pending the results of current background check as required by State law;
• Timothy Johnson as a long-term substitute teacher at Jefferson Middle School pending the results of a current background check as required by State law; and
• Authorized the Superintendent to fill certified teacher positions at Jefferson Middle School prior to the start of the 2017-2018 school year.
