The Pickens County Board of Education met on Thursday, March 13, 2008, at 5:00 p.m. at the Board Conference Center on D. B. Carroll Street for the regular monthly board meeting. The following board members were present and received per diem compensation: Mark Mitton, John Trammel, Shane Neighbors, Ervin Easterwood, and Jerry Chastain. Board Attorney Phil Landrum III was present.

Chairman Trammell called the meeting to order at 5:04 p.m.

Easterwood led the invocation followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

A motion was made by Trammell, seconded by Mitton, which passed unanimously to move personnel recommendations to item number ten, include executive session as item number nine, include board comments as item number eleven, and approve the agenda as amended.

Superintendent Mike Ballew announced that the week of March 17-21 was School Board Appreciation week. Ballew thanked the board for their work and presented the school board with certificates.

Harmony Elementary School Principal Sherry Mullins recognized the HES Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl Team which took second place out of fourteen elementary schools and she presented all of them with certificates. Mullins also announced that the HES Math Team won 8 th in the nation in the Math Facts competition. Kyle Waters was recognized for placing 3 rd in the Math Facts division competition and placing 4 th place nationally. Chairman Trammell congratulated the students and teachers for their accomplishments at the competition.

Pickens County Middle School Principal Chris LeMieux thanked the Board Members for allowing him to recognize his students at the board meetings. LeMieux recognized student Shannon O’Dell as an All State Band Member, Band Directors Mary Land and Kevin Boyle for receiving perfect scores at Reinhardt College band competition, student Alexa Baggs as the spelling bee champion for the school system, Coaches Smith and Thorton of the Robotic Team for placing third in the state and first in the region. Superintendent Ballew recognized LeMieux for PCMS receiving the Beacon School to Watch Award and presented him with a plaque from the Georgia Department of Education.

Trammell said a group of people asked him how our tax dollars are being spent. Trammel replied for them to visit one of our board meetings to see several of the accomplishments of our students.

Public Participants Mitch Yeargin, Meagan Stephens, Brittany Sutton, and Lindsey Logan spoke to the board on behalf of Coach Donnie Byrom and requested that he be reinstated to his coaching duties.

Supervisor of Operations Lloyd Shaddix presented a maintenance update to the board including an update on the renovations and additions to Pickens High School. Shaddix reported that our seven school cafeterias received excellent scores from the health department. He announced the new Director of Transportation Tony Garner.

Attendance Officer Shelley Cantrell presented total enrollment as 4302 students and 219 students with 15 or more absences and drop-outs as 59.

Chief Financial Officer Amy Burgess presented the financial report. Burgess reported FY08 general fund expenditures at 54.66% and revenue collected at 72.4%. The Local Government Investment Pool (LGIP) interest paid was $52.12 and the balance was $18,602.53. The February SPLOST II balance was $676,467.18 and interest paid was $1,843.85. The February SPLOST III balance was $4,899,463.34, interest paid was $25,061.82, and revenue collected was $383,854.38.

There was a motion by Mitton, seconded by Neighbors, which passed unanimously to approve the minutes for February 14, 2008 and called board minutes for February 28, 2008 as presented.

There was a motion by Easterwood, seconded by Neighbors, which passed unanimously to approve the surplus property submitted.

A motion was made by Easterwood, seconded by Mitton, which passed unanimously to approve policy IHF (6) Graduation Requirements 2008-2009+, revisions to Policy AD School Attendance, revisions to Policy IFCB Field Trips. (See attachments.)

There was a motion by Mitton, seconded by Easterwood, which passed 4-0 vote with Chastain abstaining to nominate Jerry Chastain as delegate and Shane Neighbors as alternate delegate for the Georgia School Board Association (GSBA) delegate assembly in Savannah.

There was a motion by Mitton, seconded by Neighbors, which passed unanimously to go into executive session at 6:29 p.m. to discuss or deliberate upon the appointment, employment, compensation, hiring, disciplinary action or dismissal, or periodic evaluation or rating of a public officer or employee; (OCGA 50-14-3(6)).

There was a motion by Mitton, seconded by Neighbors, which passed unanimously to return to open session at 6:50 p.m.

Chairman Trammell reported no action was taken in executive session.

A motion was made by Mitton, seconded by Neighbors, which passed unanimously to exclude Amanda Neighbors name from this list and approve the superintendent’s personnel recommendations as presented. (See attachments.)

A motion was made by Mitton, seconded by Chastain, which passed 4-0 to approve Amanda Neighbors as a teacher. Neighbors abstained from this vote for Amanda Neighbors is his spouse.

Board Comments:

• Chairman Trammell commented on the Public Participation portion of the agenda. He stated that he appreciated the involvement on both sides of an emotional issue. Mr. Trammell stated that there were several in attendance at the board meeting that were in favor of retaining the present coach, but that other people opposing this view were discouraged from attending the meeting.

• Mr. Trammell then discussed the roles and the responsibilities of a Board of Education. He stated that the Board does not get involved in the day to day management of the school system. The Board will not sway the administration to reverse a personnel decision that has been carefully considered. Chairman Trammell hoped that this decision would bring closure to this subject and that that everyone could move on. He stated he was confident that the administration would find a well qualified person to fill the responsibilities of coaching at Pickens High School.

Mitton made a motion, seconded by Easterwood, to adjourn at 7:00 p.m. The vote to adjourn was unanimous.