Internet service, or a lack thereof from a company that won a bid to provide it, was the big topic at the Columbia school board meeting July 8.
The current contract with C Spire was set to expire June 30. Cytranet, which is based in Mobile, Ala., won the bid to provide internet service for the next three years, however the company has yet to begin work installing the service.
Board Attorney Drew Foxworth said he has called, emailed and sent a letter overnight to the company requesting a status and no response has been received.
Superintendent Jason Harris said the system was supposed to be up and running by July 1. As of the meeting July 8, Cytranet has not provided any service or update on when the service will begin.
Board President Marie Shepard asked if the company was in breach of contract and Foxworth said yes.
Technology Coordinator Aleise McGowan said she had sent an email to the company two weeks prior, and she received what she perceived to be an internal email stating the company had done what they were supposed to do.
Foxworth said the company has 60 days to remedy the breach but also stated the company hasn’t even begun the work. He requested and received board approval to send a letter to them to terminate the agreement.
“I’m not confident we would even have support if they manage to get it installed,” Shepard said.
C Spire is currently still providing the internet service. McGowan said C Spire is willing to work with them until the issue is resolved.
In other matters, the board approved:
• Director of special services to travel out-of-state for the National CASE/NASDSE Conference in Louisville, Ky. Oct. 27 to Oct. 29. The trip would be paid from IDEA Part funds;
Aleise McGowan Columbia Primary School librarian to travel out-of-state for the REALISD in school libraries program workshop at the University of West Georgia in Carrollton, Ga., July 15 to July 18;
• Business Manager Kim Rogers’ request for permission to dispose of financial records prior to the 2013 fiscal year;
• Columbia High School baseball to host a free baseball camp for students from kindergarten through the sixth grade from 8 a.m. until noon on July 20.
In personnel matters the following were approved for certified staff:
• Timothy M. Carter, part-time chief operations officer;
• Joseph A. Porter, part-time math teacher at Columbia High School;
Non-certified staff approved include:
• John Burnham, SPED teacher assistant at Columbia High School;
• Jessica Ford, SPED teacher assistant at Columbia High School;
• Olivia Hunt, child nutrition worker at Columbia Primary School;
• Jaquessa Lowe, child nutrition worker at Columbia Primary School;
• Peggy Ray, substitute child nutrition worker;
Aleise McGowan Merida Shows, substitute child nutrition worker.
Also approved were substitute teachers: Tami Breland, Mary (Katie) Broom, Sherry Broom, Amber Brown, Diane Brown, Connie Callahan, Eloise Daniels, Richard Daugherty, Terri Dykes, Michelle Fish, Jeannette Hutchins, Margaret Johnson, Vonita Johnson, Dalena Gibson, Staci Pamphlet-Gill, LaKisha Kelly, Lynda Lee, Melissa Kay Lowery, Patsy Lowery, Vicki Miller, Kadedra Oatis, Porsha Owokunle, Dianne Pittman, Raymond Powell, Charles Price, Brooke Randall, Patrick Robertson, Lisa Rutland, Rebecca Sinclair, Samantha Stauffer, Marsha Stringer, Earnestine Thompson and Stephanie Wilson.
Crossing guards approved for the school year include Miguel Cook, Oved Dunaway, Grant McArthur, Felecia Moses, Robert Sellers, Andy Turnage and Delandoe Watts.
The next school board meeting will be Monday, July 29 at 5:15 p.m.
