By Barry H. Hendrix
The Thomasville City Schools District will provide a backpack filled with school supplies for every student for the 2021-2022 school year, said Garth Moss, city school superintendent.
He spoke June 15 at the monthly meeting of the Thomasville City Board of Education in the Thomasville High School library.
“Our parents will basically not have to buy any supplies,” Moss said. Federal funding is making the purchase of the supplies possible.
In other action from the June 15 meeting, Moss reported that approximately 46 students are attending the Summer Learning Academy at Thomasville Elementary School with 32 students at Thomasville Middle School and 30 students at THS.
Seven THS students participated in the recent ACT Boot Camp, and approximately 15 students are expected to participate in the July Boot Camp.
• ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) federal funding will allow for full-time assistant principals at all three schools for the coming three school years, Moss said. Two teaching positions (one Reading, one Math) will also be funded by ESSER for TES and THS.
The school system is looking at a three-year plan of remediation for students who are behind in their instruction due to the coronavirus pandemic, the superintendent said. The Summer Learning Academy will be offered next summer, and remediation teachers will likely be in place for the next few years.
• The board approved the regular meeting dates for the next year.
• Marshall Pritchett was chosen as the board president for the coming year, and Jim Davis was chosen as vice president.
• The board approved an overnight/out-of-state trip for rising seniors on the THS varsity football team July 29-30 at Raft One in Cooper Hill, Tenn.
• A recommendation was approved for SmartBank to be the lending source for the TRANE Energy Savings Project.
• A special called meeting of the school board will be held at 6 p.m. on June 29 in the THS library.
• The following personnel actions were approved:
(Resignations)
Marilyn E. McDaniel, custodian at Thomasville High School, retirement resignation, effective July 1;
Abigail Sullivan, English teacher at THS, resignation, effective June 14;
(Employment in Positions)
Kimberlee Harrell, Pre-K Auxiliary Teacher at Thomasville Elementary School, nine months, effective Aug. 4;
Nate Ballard, bus driver, nine months, effective Aug. 4;
William McRae, Physical Education Teacher at THS, nine months, effective Aug. 4, pending certification;
Anna Bedsole, Library Media Specialist at THS, nine months, effective Aug. 4, pending emergency certification and background review;
Elizabeth Dickerson, Language Arts Teacher at THS, nine months, effective Aug. 4;
Carmen Maness, Remediation/Intervention Teacher at THS, nine months, effective Aug. 4, pending emergency certification (rehire);
Judy Jenkins, Remediation/Class-size Reduction Teacher at TES, nine months, effective Aug. 4;
Kim Stanley, “TEAMS” Math Teacher at THS, 189 days, effective Aug. 4;
(Temporary Employment in Positions)
Temporary employment of the following individual for assistance with custodial services, June 1 to July 30: Patrick Smith;
Temporary employment for the summer enrichment program, June 7-30: Candy Thompson, Nurse;
(Volunteers)
Alexandria Taylor.
(Job Title/Description Change)
Proposal to change the job title and exemptions status of Technology Help Desk Manager/Technician to Technology Specialist, effective July 1.
(Volunteer Transfers)
Matthew Parkin, voluntary transfer from Assistant Principal, 10 months, part-time at THS/Thomasville Middle School, to Assistant Principal at THS, 10 months;
Lisa Nordan, voluntary transfer from Class-size Reduction Teacher at TES, nine months, to Pre-K Lead Teacher at TES, nine months;
Quentin Owes, voluntary transfer from 12-month custodian at THS/TMS, to 12-month custodian at THS.
(Create Position)
Create three positions, Parent Liaisons (one-per-school at 20 hours-per-week/$15-per-hour Federal Funding).
The Parent Liaison positions will provide resources for parents in the school system. “Each school will have a parenting room,” Moss said. “It will take the load off of principals,” said Donna Calhoun, Federal Programs and Special Education Coordinator. “They will be able to answer a lot of questions.”