Johnston County Board
of Education

report from Jan. 14 meeting

Board members present:
Chairman Todd Sutton, Teresa Grant, Ronald Johnson, Terri Sessoms,
Peggy Smith, Mike Wooten, Tracie Zukowski
Absent: None

March 9 is deadline for applications

for Johnston superintendent candidates


The Board of Education approved a contract with the N.C. School Boards Association for assistance in recruiting a new superintendent of schools for Johnston County by July 1. The deadline for candidates to submit applications is March 9.

Allison Schafer, the association's general counsel and director of policy, told the board during a previous session that the price tag for the service will be $21,500 plus expenses. Board member Terri Sessoms pointed out during Tuesday's session that the cost will be more than covered by savings in compensation for the interim superintendent following Dr. Causby's resignation last week and the subsequent appointment of Ben Williams, who has asked to be paid at his current salary as an "area superintendent" in the Central Office.

The contract with the School Boards Association includes surveys open to the general public as well as the school system's staff about expectations for the new superintendent.

"The community and our employees want us to look outside the system," Ms. Sessoms said. "They want a national search."

Ms. Schafer assured board members that they will receive all applications and other information regarding candidates that's gathered by the association during the recruitment process. So far as the individual applications are concerned, "by law they have to be kept confidential," she said.


REVISED POLICY PUTS A LIMIT ON HOMEWORK HOURS
The board adopted revised guidelines that keep existing time limits on nightly homework but adds a new clause that homework should not exceed "2 hours total" for grades 6-12. Basic homework guidelines remain unchanged: Kindergarten --- 15 to 30 minutes; Grades 1-2 --- 30 to 45 minutes; Grade 3 --- 45 to 60 minutes; Grades 4-5 --- 60 minutes; Grades 6-8 --- 30 minutes "in each of the core courses"; Grades 9-12 --- 30 minutes for standard courses, 45 minutes for honor courses, and 60 minutes for Advanced Placement courses. "We did our best to follow recommendations from research," said board member Peggy Smith, who chairs the system's Policy Advisory Committee that proposed the two-hour rule. Before this week's action, the homework policy had not been changed since 2002.

 
STUDENT REASSIGNMENTS APPROVED AND DENIED
As part of its "consent agenda" requiring no discussion, the board approved and denied several requests for reassignment of students to schools outside the attendance districts where they reside. Most of the denials involved requests for transfers to "capped" schools with no room for additional students.
View this month's list of APPROVALS>
View the list of DENIALS>


CONTRACT RENEWED FOR ANNUAL AUDIT
The board renewed its contract with Anderson, Smith & Wike of Rockingham for auditing services. The cost for the current fiscal year is $38,500. Board member Mike Wooten asked if bids on the auditing contract are still sought every three years. Brian Vetrano, the system's chief of human resources and financial services, said bids are currently taken every five years.


CONTRACT RENEWED FOR MICROSOFT SERVICES
The board approved a three-year contract for continued enrollment for the entire school system in Microsoft computer services. The annual cost is $292,803.90 over the next three years, with an option for two additional years at the same price.


SCHOOL-ACCESS SECURITY WORK ALMOST DONE

Brooks Moore, the system's construction management officer, gave the board an update on a project to ramp up security measures in the vestibules of all of Johnston's schools. It's an 11-month project that should be completed in another two months, he said. The work includes new walls and doorways inside a number of the schools to control public access more tightly.


PROPOSED NAMES FOR STADIUM AND GYMNASIUM

The board received recommendations from local school representatives for naming of two athletic facilities. Cleveland High School's football stadium is to be named in memory of John Jacobs, a beloved teacher and coach at the school who was a four-sport athlete at Smithfield-Selma High School. Riverwood Middle School's gymnasium is to be named in memory of Phil Lee, who served the school as its principal 2005-2014. Both proposals must "lay on the table" for 60 days before approval by the board.


TWO ADVISORY COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS MADE

The board appointed Clarissa Juanette Evans to a three-year term on the Corinth-Holders Elementary School Advisory Council. She succeeds Faith Batten. The board reappointed James Rodgers to the Clayton High School Advisory Council.
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