No tax increase planned for new Claxton School
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The site for the new Claxton Elementary School is the former site of Crossroads Christ Fellowship Church. Plans call for using th existing building, but expanding it with new construction. - Tony Cox
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Board of Education member Don Bell, Director of Schools Tim Parrott, Board Chairman Scott Gillenwaters and board member Teresa Portwood talk before a board workshop. - Tony Cox
Anderson County plans to build a new $28.475 million Claxton Elementary School, and now has a solid plan for how to pay for it.
But the county says that it will not involve a tax increase.
The county Board of Education approved the plan unanimously on Thursday (Feb. 13).
Board member Jo Williams made the motion, and Don Bell seconded.
Director of Schools Tim Parrott said the school system will likely approve a contract with Merit Construction by the end of February to build the school.
Merit will have 672 day to finish the project from when it signs the contract, Parrott said.
The new school will be at the former Crossroads Christ Fellowship Church site at 105 Fellowship Lane.
Plans call for making use of an existing building from the church, but adding new construction to it.
The County Commission earlier approved bonds for the project, which are part of the plan.
Parrott said he hoped the sale of the sale of the current Claxton Elementary School campus at 2218 Clinton Highway in Powell, which he projected would bring $4 million, would help pay for the project.
Board of Education Chairman Scott Gillenwaters called the vote related to the new school “one of the best things we get to do.”
Parrott has listed electrical, plumbing and security issues as reasons for replacing the present school building.
Outcome incentives
In other business, the board voted to give extra funds to schools that perform well.
Grand Oaks Elementary School gets $2,000 for receiving an “A” on the state of Tennessee “report card.”
The state bases its letter grades for elementary and middle schools on “student achievement,” “student academic growth” and “growth of the highest need students.”
The board also gave $2,000 to each school the state of Tennessee designated as a Reward School, which included Clinton High, Grand Oaks Elementary, Claxton Elementary and Andersonville Elementary.
That designation goes to schools with a federal accountability score of 3.1 or higher out of four.
The federal government, in turn, bases that score on student achievement, student growth, low chronic absenteeism and the proficiency of students whose first language is not English.
The board voted to give $1,000 to Norwood Middle School and Norwood Elementary School, which both moved up one state letter grade or moved off the state’s Additional Targeted Support and Improvement list.
Citizen Comments
The board unanimously passed a policy on second and final reading allowing two citizen-comment periods during each board meeting.
The issue raised some controversy last year, specifically connected to citizens who wanted to comment on a scandal involving falsely giving better grades students at Clinton High School.
The policy that passed is available on the school system’s website, acs.ac. The policy will go into effect in March.
The first comment period will be at the beginning of the meeting, and will involve topics on the agenda. Speakers need to sign in at the beginning of the meeting.
Another comment period at the end of the meeting will involve topics not on the agenda.
The board, however, will give priority during this time period to speakers who sign up three business days in advance.
If no one has signed up, then anyone in the audience can speak.
Comment times are limited to 15 minutes, and each speaker has just three minutes.
Tenure
The board approved tenure for many teachers across the school system:
Gates Abbott of Anderson Elementary School, Ashley Cox of Norris Elementary School, Hannah Cunningham of Clinton High School, Kimberley Dalton of Norwood Middle School, Savanna Harmon of Lake City Middle School, Chris Hinds of Clinton Elementary School, Lorri Johnson of Clinton High School, Stefanie Kerley of Lake City Middle School, Meredith Lassiter of Fairview Elementary School, Kendra McCoig of Clinch River Community School, Hannah Pack of Anderson County High School, Brittney Stacy of Norwood Middle School, Megan Thomas of Clinton Middle School, Jacoba Catharina Vanderstoel of Clinton Elementary School, Amber Wall of Clinton High School and Kaitlyn Watson of Grand Oaks Elementary School.
