School Board Tables ESPLOST Vote

Dudley Spruill, the chief operating officer for facilities and operations, distributed the 39-page draft of a summary of needs for the at Monday night’s Board of Education meeting.

He also handed out a two-page draft of various district maintenance needs, such as landscaping/erosion control, signage, furniture, technology and security cameras.

It was the first time School Board members had seen the summary that Superintendent Gordon Pritz said came from input by school officials, principals and PTA members.

“I just got this tonight after asking for it for weeks,” Board member Michael Miller of District 1 said. “I’d like to table this matter till Aug. 1.”

Spruill’s handouts were part of the possible $122 million special-purpose, local-option educational sales tax referendum the school district is proposing to place on Nov. 8 ballot. The referendum would continue the current 1-percent SPLOST program, which ends Dec. 31. The life of the new ESPLOST cannot exceed 20 calendar quarters and generate more than $122 million.

According to the two-page ESPLOST IV draft handout, Tier I projects would cost an estimated $53,995,300 and Tier II $11,518,440 for a total of $65,513,740. However, an estimated $4.5 million of that total could be eligible for reimbursements.

The Douglas County School Board voted 5-0 to table the ESPLOST vote until the next board meeting. The school board also made several other unanimous votes during the meeting. These were:

• Approved a personal communication device five-year waiver for students to use technology during classroom instruction and learning to bolster student achievement.
• Renewed the agreement for the 2011-12 school year with Comprehensive Therapy Consultants to pay $54 hourly for an occupational therapist or physical therapist and $52 hourly for a speech therapist. Federal IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) funds will pay for the program.
• Approved payment of $34,961.10 and evaluation services of $83,906.64 to Research Associates for technical assistance and evaluation services for the BRIDGES Grant. The BRIDGES Grant will cover the funding.
• Continuing the service agreement with GO Solutions, which initiates and assists the DCSS with billing Medicare and Medicaid for special education-related services. The cost is 25 cents per IEP (Individual Education Program) student and 55 cents per submitted claim. Federal IDEA funds pay for the program.
• Approved change order for replacement of existing mechanical curbs at by and Siding Company for $34,117.21. SPLOST is the project’s funding source.
• Approved of emergency repair and re-roofing of Banks Building at Douglas County High following storm damage on May 26 and June 22. All-Tex Roofing filed the low bid of $160,370 for total repairs. SPLOST is the project’s funding source.
• Approved concrete refurbishing of visitor grandstands at the Douglas County High football field to Southern Architectural and Engineering Company for $113,127. SPLOST funds will cover the “labor-intensive” project.

The board was also apprised of other important items during the meeting. These were:

• The results of a Metropolitan Regional Educational Service Agency salary study evaluation. Douglas County teacher salaries were ranked eighth out of 10 similar sized metro Atlanta school districts based on entry-level (T-4) and max pay level (T-5) averages. Douglas County’s average of $50,367 was ahead of Paulding’s $50,145 and Fayette’s $48,252. Cherokee had the highest at $56,429. Marietta City, Clayton, Cobb, Forsyth, Henry and Walton were ranked second to seventh.
• Pritz told the board that the school system had hired 75 new teachers this year and their orientation day is July 27.
• Superintendent Pritz also said the format for school board meetings will change starting in August. Generally, the first board meeting of the month will now be a work session and the second will be the voting meeting, which is a similar format to Cobb County School District. Pritz said this change would enable community members two weeks to learn more about items up for a board vote and increase district transparency.