Busy Meeting for North Clay Board

North Clay school board members Thursday discussed a variety of topics.

Jeff Cox spoke to the Board about a rumor floating around that the baseball coach was going to be reprimanded or lose his job. Nate Micklautz then began to speak on the same topic, but was reminded that if the discussion would concern an employee of the district, it couldn't be done in open session. Micklautz was invited to attend the closed session.

There was also discussion of two unauthorized people in attendance at eighth grade promotion exercises. One person in question was put on hold due to personal circumstances, but the other situtation was discussed. The Board then voted to ban James Devore from North Clay school grounds indefinitely, with a possible re-evaluation in the event that Devore would make a written formal request to do so.

Board members also discussed approval, for first reading, of an athletic policy for the coming school year. After lengthy discussion, a motion was made and seconded to adopt for first reading a policy with punishment for one-third of a year for athletics and all extracurriculars. Before a vote could occur, the second was withdrawn and the motion died for lack of a second. A motion was then made to approve for first reading a policy as recommended by a committee that met and made recommendations to the Board at the May meeting. That motion died for lack of a second. A motion was then made to approve for first reading a policy with one-third of a year punishment without including all other extracurriculars, with the expectation that the Board study the extracurricular portion for the coming year. The motion is in reference to the policy currently in place. That motion was seconded and approved 4-2 with members Simmons and McKinney voting against. Final reading and adoption of the policy is scheduled at the July meeting.

North Clay board members also learned that Flora High School will no longer be doing a co-op agreement in Track with North Clay.

Following closed session, Superintendent Monty Aldrich reported that the current agreement with Clay County State Bank as depository is up. Aldrich explained that with several new employees coming and training with payroll and the like, it would be a benefit to extend the agreement for the coming school year, dependent upon him meeting with the bank president and agreeing upon certain stipulations. A motion directing Aldrich to do so was approved and he'll report back to the Board on the issue at their July meeting.

In personnel moves, the North Clay board recalled paraprofessionals Alecia Lutz, Gina West, LeeAnnCorry and Megan Williams for the coming school year; accepting the resignation of Ruth Ann Simms as Speech/Language Pathologist; accepted the resignation of Ben Farleigh as district bookkeeper; hired Jami Lewis as district bookkeeper as of July 1; hired Kendra Jones as fifth grade teacher; hired Shawna Poe as special education teacher; granted Aldrich authority to hire a band/music teacher for the coming year and to fill two custodial positions; hired Tina Gaddy as district administrative assistant; approved two foreign exchange students for the coming year; granted the administration authority to hire secretarial positions; and accepted the resignation of Leigh Williams as junior high assistant basketball coach. The Board considered a motion to hire David Skelton as a fulltime bus driver, but the motion died for lack of a second.