Members of Manila School Board met in special meeting Tuesday, Jan. 5, to discuss participating in the Race to the Top program, personnel matters, and a handbook policy issue.
Present were Board members Tony Crowell, president, Johnny McCain, Brandon Veach, Danny Robbins, and Tracey Reinhart. Not present were Jackie Hill and Steve Matheny.
Superintendent Pam Castor said she was ready to make a recommendation on the policy issue concerning homecoming participation eligibility initiated at last month's meeting. Castor recommended referring the issue back to high school principal Pam Chipman with instructions to convene a committee with at least one member of the group making the proposal to change the homecoming participation policy. The committee is to review the policy and make a recommendation to the board for any changes to be considered for the 2010-11 handbook. The board voted unanimously to accept Castor's recommendation.
Castor spoke on information she gathered on the Federal Race to the Top program. Board members were given a draft to review at the regular December meeting. Castor explained the Race to the Top program is the second phase of the federal stimulus money to be distributed to the schools throughout the state. She explained the board has to make a decision by Jan. 8 if the district will participate in the project or not. She said according to Dr. Tom Kimbrell, State Education director, many of the state initiatives will be inclusive with the project. She spoke of some of the benefits to the district.
"I think we will see a lot of the initiatives in the district if we sign on or not," she said. "If we sign on, we will get funding up front for the mandates. We have been assured there will be no non-funded mandates."
The board voted unanimously on Castor's recommendation to participate in the Race to the Top program.
Following a short executive meeting, the board voted to hire Tracey Bohannan as long term substitute for the remainder of the semester.