By By BETTY MITCHELL GRAY
Staff Writer
Beaufort County commissioners and school-board members agree a lawsuit involving them should end, but they differ over the wording of a resolution to that effect.
During their meeting Monday, members of the Beaufort County Board of Education agreed with the Beaufort County Board of Commissioners that litigation over funding for the 2006-2007 school budget should end. The school-board members also agreed to cooperate with the county on any changes regarding school funding for the 2010-11 school year.
But the school board rejected a draft version of the resolution submitted by county leaders and substituted its own version.
The school board voted unanimously to adopt a joint resolution that, according to board member William S. Warren, better reflects “the spirit of two boards working jointly together for the betterment of Beaufort County” than the county’s draft. It was approved after the board met in a closed-door session with its lawyers Monday. It was made public Tuesday afternoon.
It reads, in part, as follows:
“A. The County and Board of Education will not pursue further litigation regarding the lawsuit filed by the Board of Education over the appropriate level of County Funding for Fiscal Year (“FY”) 2006-2007 school year; … C. The full elected bodies of the Board of Education and County will meet together on or before September 1, 2010 in order to review the terms of the Interlocal Agreement; D. Each party will give serious consideration to a request by the other for assistance in the event the State of North Carolina withholds ADM funds from the County and/or the Board of Education for FY 2010-11; E. The County and Board of Education will work together in good faith to minimize the consequences to Beaufort County taxpayers resulting from a decision by the State to withhold a portion of ADM funding to the County and/or Board of Education for FY 2010-11.”
The resolution comes, in part, as a result of comments from some county leaders who said after an Oct. 19 commissioners meeting that they would like the school board to enter into a written agreement with the county that prohibits legal action in the future.
The commissioners are expected to consider a version of the resolution at their Nov. 2 meeting.
In other business, the board:
• Awarded a $27,400 contract to Coastal Clearing and Grading for a demolition project at Snowden Elementary School;
• Approved a request by Phillip Boyd, plant operations manager, to provide landscaping for the south and north sides of the entrance to the gym at Bath Elementary School at a cost of $750;
• Approved a project, also submitted by Boyd, to improve the drainage at Bath Elementary School;
• Renewed a six-month conditional contract with Wilson Cleaning;
• Approved changes in school policy regarding the administration of medication to students.
The change is based on previous action by the board that stipulated that teachers, assistants or volunteers may not administer medications to children in the classroom unless the school board has approved, according to Patrick Abele, executive director for learning services. The restriction does not apply to self-contained, exceptional-children’s classrooms or classroom administration of designated emergency medications such as Epi-pens or inhalers;
• Tabled discussion of a recommendation by Belcher to reduce from 10 percent the interest rate imposed on recipients who default on Grow Our Own Scholarships;
• Rejected a proposal allowing Higher Grounds Education Services to provide services in the schools.
• Heard a presentation by Abele regarding changes in state law that affect the school’s Student Promotion and Accountability policy. The State Board of Education on July 1 removed the Competency Test and Computer Skills Test from diploma requirements. As a result of this change, individuals who did not receive a high-school diploma because they failed to receive a passing score on the competency test and/or the computer-skills test will now be able to petition for their diplomas until July 1, 2014, Abele said. The board is expected to act on the change at a future meeting;
All school board members attended the meeting.