City schools bringing back staff to wrap up year, plan for fall

New Albany school officials are bringing staff back to make the transition from one year to the next, along with the challenges the pandemic has brought about. “It’s business as usual as much as business as usual can be right now,” Superintendent Dr. Lance Evans said.

“Right now, we’ve got our administrators back. Basically they are Monday through Thursday. And we brought all our custodians back. We’ve got our counselors back,” Evans said.

The office staffs are rotating in to cover certain parts of the phones, the financial, and things like that, he said. The principals have set up schedules for teachers to come in and do all the social distancing and requirements of the CDC so they can start packing up their rooms like they need to so the custodians can start doing what they have to do.

“It’ll take probably two to three weeks for all those teachers to have the opportunity to come through because of how we have to break it up,” Evans said. “But we’ve trained all our employees who are back. Our nurses did that this morning so we’re really good to start there. Everybody’s back, moving forward.”

“We will be continuing to do the meals through the 22^nd so that’ll be the last day we do that,” he said. “We had talked about maybe working through to see if there are some other options maybe for food for the summer but we will catch up a little later with that.”

Having teachers and other staff should not be a problem.

“Right now we have just about everyone hired in the district (for the coming school year),” he said, with the exception of one or two openings at the career and technical center. “The hiring we do tonight will take care of most of that.”

In personnel, trustees approved:

• The resignation of Lecia Stubblefield, director of professional support services, at the end of the school year due to retirement.
• The resignation of Todd Lott, athletic director-assistant football coach, New Albany High School, effective at the end of the school year.
• The resignation of Sherran Denkler, teacher assistant, New Albany Middle School, effective at the end of the school year.
• The resignation of Emily Murff, teacher assistant, New Albany Elementary School, effective at the end of the school year.
• Hiring Emily Murff, teacher, New Albany High School, replacing Lee Ann Thompson
• Hiring Lecia Stubblefield, director of professional support services (half time), after completing the required 90-day separation from services under the state personnel retirement system.
• Hiring Anna Creekmore, teacher, New Albany Middle School, replacing Adam Preston.
• Hiring Jim Taylor, bus driver, Central Office, replacing Nick McGirk.
• Approving the Special Education Extended School Year program staff.

“We’re rolling along, planning for next year,” he said.

Of course it is still not clear when, and under what circumstances, school will resume in the fall.

“There are recommendations out there regarding the potential opening of school and the recommendations they are giving for that, and we are planning for those so they we are sure we are not caught in a bad situation with the beginning of the school year so we have everything we need,” Evans said.

“And we’re looking at utilizing our CARES money, the federal money we know we are getting to purchase the things that we need. We’re just getting ready for next year.”

More immediate class plans are set.

Although graduation was originally set for May 22, Evans said, “We are finishing up virtual school as we know it on May 8, this Friday, and then the 11th through the 22nd is extended school year at our elementary school. What’s happened there is the teachers of the students that need to be in the extended school year will have those two weeks to get those students where they need to be from the standpoint of showing proficiency and standards so they can be promoted. Then our summer school will start with our middle school and high school students so they will be able to have that opportunity to go ahead earn that credit recovery they need to be promoted to the next grade.”

“Our goal is to make sure that we’ve given every opportunity for every student because we don’t want to retain anybody. But if they don’t do their part we will have no choice but to retain them,” he said. “But there is an overabundance of opportunities, you name it, to try to make our students successful.”

In her monthly report, director of accounting services Suzanne Coffey said the district’s fund balance is a little better than in the previous two years at this time. That’s due in part because the students and staff have not been in the buildings the past couple of months or so. She said tax revenue collections are at 92 percent while expenditures are at about 70 percent.

“We should end like we expected and we will begin budgeting what we can and waiting on state allocations,” she said.

In another financial matter, trustees approved a second-year renewal to use BNA Bank as the school district depository for the next school year paying an interest rate of 1.45 percent. Board members Jill Shaw and David Rainey recused themselves from action on the matter because of ties to the bank.

Although the construction project using bond issue money to improve all the schools still is not complete, Evans said installation of the new flooring on the first floor of the middle school is done and the second floor should be in the next few days. The only major part of the work that remains, in terms of cost, is replacement of the windows at the high school.

Before adjourning, the board went into executive session to discuss a personnel matter but Superintendent Evans said no action was taken.

The school board meeting was again held by means of teleconferencing due to pandemic precautionary requirements.

The next meeting of the city school board is set for Monday, June 1, at 5:30 p.m. It will be in the central office if health care conditions permit.