Greyhound press box among renovations at high school

Board of Education members addressed several important items at their June meeting, having their first look at the 2025 budget and approving the contractor for the Jones County High School renovation project.

Perhaps the best news from the meeting was the board’s acceptance of the Community Eligibility Provision that will provide free breakfast and lunch for all students in all Jones County schools for the next five years.

Board members voted unanimously for all Jones County Schools to participate in the CPE during the action items portion of the agenda.

Board Chairman Ginger Bailey called the June 11 meeting to order and gave the first report. Bailey talked about the recent Georgia School Board Association Conference in Savannah attended by board members.

The chairman said it was a great conference, and she looked forward to implementing new policies.

Board member Mike Gordon agreed and said some of the classes were eye opening.

Board member Dr. Nancy Nash commented that she took classes about how to be a better board member. She said one class featured a generational speaker who noted there were currently six generations being handled at once.

“It was very interesting and inciteful. Conferences are an opportunity to grow and learn.” Nash said.

Board member Alfred Pitts said education was like working a long division problem.

“You can get the right answer, but if the steps to get there are not right, the problem is wrong,” he said.

Pitts directed his next comments to oncoming board member Brady Skinner.

“Serving on the Board of Education will be one of the most important and exciting things you’ll do in your life,” he said. “Any time you need help, I’ll be here for you.”

In his report, School Superintendent Charles Lundy said the last day of the school year was May 21, which was also graduation.

“That was a bittersweet day. Graduation is always an emotional right of passage,” he said. “I want to congratulate Principal Dennis Woolfolk and his staff for a great job.”

Lundy thanked those responsible for the retiree’s luncheon and said the conference was both eventful and informative. He said June 10 was a leadership workshop for the school system, and a team-building luncheon took place earlier that day.

He said summer school graduation would take place in the performing arts auditorium June 13.

The superintendent reminded board members the second reading of the 2025 budget was scheduled June 20 and the third reading of the budget and adoption, June 27. Both meetings are at 5 p.m.

Reports

Jones County Literacy Specialist Kristen Beaver gave a presentation about HB 538, known as the Georgia Early Literacy Act. She said the board is required to adopt and certify instructional materials, which has not been done for some time.

Beaver said they would be going for the bundle approach with the materials. She said the new standards would come out in 2026.

The specialist said they started the Foundation Literacy Committee last year with representatives from each school vetting materials for next year.

“Teachers will have a buy in. We are making all the materials available for them to look at and give input,” she said.

Beaver said they would be back to present their choices to the board in July.

She said Jones County has already been doing some of the required items, and the big push is in honing foundational skills.

The specialist said this is the first time professional learning has been mandated. She said 97 Jones County teachers are already enrolled in the learning academy, and 56 teachers are in Lexia.

“We are trying to equip and prepare teachers,” Beaver said.

She noted that any teachers who graduate after 2026 will already have the training.

“We are moving in the right direction,” Beaver added.

Support Services Director Raymond Braziel and Maintenance Director Joe Evans presented the board with updated information about the JCHS renovation project. Braziel started with the process of how the bid was awarded to Parrish Construction Group.

Evans presented an overview of the scope of the $3 million project. He began with the air conditioning of the JCHS gym, noting that the gym was not constructed to have air conditioning.

He said the air conditioning unit had to be placed on the ceiling of the gym, and that required infrastructure changes. Evans said more changes had to be done to make the unit more efficient and other changes had to be done to make the gym ADA compliant. That included new bleachers.

The director said the Fine Arts Auditorium needed lighting upgrades, and the carpet had become a safety hazard. The final item was a new press box for the football stadium.

“We have this opportunity to make it all happen at one time,” he said. “This is not a want; it’s a need for safety.”

Pitts thanked the directors for the information. He said it was important for board members to understand the project.

“We need to be able to answer questions when we are asked by the public,” he said. “I want to be able to say I have done my best for every child in this county.”

Bailey thanked the presenters for the thoroughness of their information.

Finance report

CFO Tonya Merritt presented the finance report as of May 31, representing 91.67 percent of the school year.

She reported total revenues of $57,564,394 and expenditures of $54,443,171. The total ending cash balance was $25,436,830. The amount of Education Special Local Option Sales Tax collections for May was $283,274, making the average monthly ESPLOST collections $299,643.

Merritt then went over the 2025 draft budget. She said the estimated property tax revenue is $12,924,159, and the addition of other local collections such as real estate transfer taxes brought the total local revenue to $15,274,159.

The anticipated revenue from the state is $46,408,524 with the total revenue estimated at $61,682,683.

The speaker went over known increases for the 2025 budget, the biggest being an increase in health insurance for employees and an increase in the employer portion for teachers retirement.

Action items

Lundy recommended the approval of the following items, and each was unanimously approved by the board.

• ContractwithFollett Content solutions to purchase book for the Clifton Ridge Media Center for an estimated cost of $14,985 utilizing funds from ESSER III

• ContractwithHoward Technology Solutions to purchase cables, power supplies and switches for JCSS for an estimated cost of $41,700 utilizing funds from the technology budget

• ContractwithJohnson Controls to purchase installation for door access control equipment for all K-12 schools under the cooperative purchasing Sourcewell contract for an estimated cost of $161,900 utilizing funds from the technology budget

• ApprovalforallJones County schools to participate in the Community Eligibility Provision where all students will receive meals at no charge for the next five years

• ContractwithAmwaste of Georgia to purchase waste and recycling services for JCSS for an estimated cost of $132,889 utilizing funds from the Maintenance and Operation Budget

• Agreementwiththe Jones County Board of Commissioners to cover a portion of the cost for Operation Early Intervention Services at an estimated amount of $40,068 utilizing funds from the general budget

• Renewalofannual contract with K-12 Group Solutions for the Infinite Campus Student Information System for an estimated cost of $67,410 utilizing fund from the Technology Budget

• ContractwithParrish Construction Group to purchase Construction Professional Services for the JCHS renovation project for the estimated cost of $230,000 utilizing funds from the 2019 ESPLOST

• Approvalofrevised policy regulation on financial reports – Capitalization of Assets.

• Agreementwiththe Jones County Board of Education to cover one-half of the salary, FICA and workers compensation for the branch manager of the Jones County Library for an estimated cost of $29,065 utilizing funds from the general budget

• ContractwithPlayground Creations to purchase two sunshades and seven picnic tables for Clifton Ridge Middle School using Sourcewell Cooperative Purchasing State Contract for an estimated cost of $49,955 utilizing funds from ESSER III

• Approvaloffy2025 contracts for the School Nutrition Program utilizing funds from the Nutrition Department Budget and equipment grant funds for an estimated total of $1,487,605.

• Workers’ Compensation renewal with Georgia Education Workers’ Compensation Trust with a premium of $141.306 and General Insurance with Selective Premium Insurance with a premium of $386,089 for a total of $527,395 for the 2024 – 2025 school year

• Approvaltoprovide nutrition staff with a $2,000 stipend utilizing funds from ESSER II for their work with the 2024 summer feeding program The next monthly business meeting of the Board of Education is 6 p.m. July 9. The second reading of the 2025 budget is June 20 and the third reading and adoption, June 27. Both meetings are slated for 5 p.m. and will be held in the Board Meeting Room located at 339 Railroad Street.