During the regular board meeting, a motion was passed to limit the number of fundraisers to support school activities and some large annual fundraisers the schools participate in every year, including Relay for Life.
“It’s harmless, but it’s one more time we ask [parents and students] to raise money,” said Superintendent Kent Edwards during the work session. “Though they’re worthy fundraisers, it seems our only link to them is our parents and students are captive audiences.”
He said he receives a request for fundraising assistance about every week. He always responds to the requests, telling the organization that the school system cannot help at this time, but wanted board approval to turn down new requests.
Board member Mike Rothschild said his children bring home requests for money or help with fundraisers every other day.
In other business, Edwards reported that the current SPLOST is reported at about $260,000, a level it has maintained for more than a year now. The September 2009 SPLOST report was about $301,000, but that was unusually high, Edwards said.
Also, Board President Dr. James Pope announced that LaKeia King, a fourth-grade literature and language arts teacher, was selected as the 2010-2011 Carrollton City Schools Teacher of the Year and Carrollton Middle School Teacher of the Year. Edwards said the teachers at each school select a teacher of the year. The teacher is then monitored by educators from outside the system and required to write an essay. The educators then select the recipient of the system-wide award.
“We’re very fortunate to have her,” said Trent North, principal of Carrollton Middle School. “To walk into her classroom — even as a student-teacher — conveyed just how good she was.”
He said it is an honor for a teacher with only five years of experience to impress her peers enough to be selected as the teacher of the year.
North said King’s essay mentioned that she wanted to teach because it gave her 30 years to influence, enlighten, encourage, love and play a part in destinies of many students.
Sara Williams, a speech pathologist and special education teacher, was selected as the Carrollton Elementary School Teacher of the Year, and Betsy Downer Brown, an English teacher, was selected as the Carrollton High School Teacher of the Year.
Travis Thomaston, a former science teacher, was selected as the Carrollton Junior High Teacher of the Year. He was not eligible for the system-wide teacher of the year because he has already moved into an administrative position as the assistant principal at Carrollton Elementary School.
The teacher of the year sits on the Education Foundation Board and helps monitor scholarships, said Susan Fields, the 2009-2010 system-wide teacher of the year. She was asked to speak at several events, including the system-wide meeting at the beginning of the school year.
Lastly, the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) program has started operating in the schools. Edwards said the labs set up in the high school and junior high are being used, and he hopes to have a day available for the public to see them.
The STEM labs were created with grant money received this summer.
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