North Clay School Board Approves Austerity Measures

North Clay school board members Thursday voted to approve cost-cutting and cost-saving moves related to the district athletic programs.

The Board agreed that funding of athletics along with the sports privately funded this school year will be the sameas posted last spring.  Funding for the privately funded sports will be due by April 11 in order for the activity to occur next school year.  Again next year, transportation to extracurriculars will not be provided by the District.

The Board also approved a five-dollar increase in specific sports where the District is deficient according to data presented.  The sports are high school girls basketball, high school baseball, junior high baseball, junior high softball and junior high volleyball.

North Clay board members also voted to cancel the high school softball season due to lack of interest.

The Board is making efforts to get ahead of the curve regarding district policies, including the athletic policy that has been a source of conflict this year.  Principals will make available in the media times for handbook revision meetings for each building.  Everyone is welcome to attend.  Athletic policy revisions will begin with an informational meeting that will be announced.  At that meeting, information regarding the formation of a committee to review the policy will be given.  The local newspaper is to include the information when the meetings are scheduled.

North Clay board members increased substitute teacher pay to $85/day for the coming school year, Clay County Rehabilitation was hired for lawn care services, no action was taken on floor designs for the Commons and the grade school gym other than Superintendent Monty Aldrich will report to the district's architect, and an agreement was renewed with NSN Employer Services for unemployment claims administration.

The Board authorized Aldrich to hire a high school principal to succeed the retiring Julie Healy, accepted a resignation from Janell Farleigh as junior high cheerleading sponsor and hire Farleigh as high school cheerleading sponsor, accepted the resignation of Rick Hays as 5th/6th grade basketball coach, accepted the resignation due to retirement of Lynn Rudy as of the end of the 15-16 school year, rehired all certified staff for next school year, approved a resolution to dismiss Dave Skelton as junior high girls basketball coach at the end of this school year, and approved a maternity leave for Karen Leak beginning May 3.

Board members heard that a special meeting will be held Tuesday, March 25 at 4:30pm to discuss personnel matters.