By Marcia Barnes
Staff Writer
Clay County Schools Board of Education moved into a regular meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 10 that had been rescheduled twice due to winter weather. Chairman Jason Shook called the meeting to order and welcomed back Board Member Kelly Crawford. All members present, the board began the meeting's work. The single item on the agenda that required action from the board was a vote on a Memorandum of Understanding for a Telepsych Grant with University North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Superintendent Melissa Godfrey gave the board and public present the background for the need of these services at the schools and an overview of the agreement with UNC Chapel Hill.
“Psychiatry services are something not easily available to our students and our families,” Godfrey said. “Often times there is quite a distance to be traveled to seek psychiatric services and long waiting lists. Although there are not a lot of students that require these types of services, those that do, really need them. We're excited to be a part of this.
“We worked to write a grant to provide this. There's quite a lengthy agreement between Clay County Schools and UNC.” Godfrey said that in summarizing, the agreement is a partnership between Clay County Schools and UNC Chapel Hill's Department of Psychiatry. The purpose is to provide services on the school campus for students who need psychiatric help.
Godfrey said that basically the service provided will be through a licensed UNC provider via a secured line and available one to five days a week. Students served under the agreement are patients of UNC, not of Clay County Schools.
“Our responsibilities in this agreement are that we will provide a safe and secure place on campus with appropriate Internet connectivity, a private place with support staff for all four schools,” Godfrey said.
“UNC will be responsible for supplying the medical provider, telephone equipment, medical record documentation and billing.
“We are just providing space and access. That's the agreement in a nutshell,” Godfrey said.
A motion to approve was made by Shook; Crawford seconded the motion. The board approved the agreement unanimously.
Angel Owens, Chief Officer of Human Resources and Federal Programs recognized Hayesville Elementary School teachers who recently earned National Board Certification. This raises the number to 20 teachers at Clay County Schools who have this certification. Owens presented six teachers an honorary door plaque which will be installed on their classroom doors at the school. Receiving recognition from the board for their certification: Christy McClure, third grade; Meghan Taylor, second grade; Tara Roberts, second grade; Katie Danner, third grade; Susan Rexroad, third grade and Adrianna Deaver, second grade.
Jim Saltz, Interim Career and Technology Education Director commended Adrian Fuentes, a senior at Hayesville High School on his internship with a local business. Fuentes gave a full and detailed report to the board on the internship experience with Ledford and Parker.
“My main tasks included regular servicing of fleet vehicles and heavy equipment on site.” Fuentes said that work performed by Ledford and Parker includes paving, excavation, septic work, anywhere from planning, budgeting, laborers, anything necessary to completing the job. He articulated board-room-level details accompanied with visual presentations he created showing the work he performed and the people at Ledford and Parker he worked with throughout the internship.
“The ultimate goal of the internship was to gain a higher interest and proficiency with heavy equipment and vehicles that were provided by the company,” Fuentes said, adding that one of the biggest challenges today is the electronic component of all heavy equipment, mining trucks and rock trucks.
Fuentes thanked the owners of Ledford and Parker for the opportunity they afforded him and said that he loved every minute of working for the company and that included sweeping floors. Fuentes is completing a two-year Associates of Arts degree in English and math and has been accepted to the National Automobile College.
Mid-year data reports were given by Hayesville Elementary School Principal Karissa Teague for grades three, four and five. Third grade reading scores rose from the beginning of the year with 41 students proficient to 73 students proficient at mid-year; math scores rose from nine students to 34 students. Fourth graders excelled in reading with 27 students proficient at the beginning of school year to 64 students at mid-year. Teague said that fifth grade scores also rose in proficiency in reading and math, the scores were just not as high.
Hayesville Middle School Principal Dr. Tiffany Clapsaddle gave results of mid-year testing. In sixth grade math, Clapsaddle reported growth with 49.4 percent of students demonstrating positive growth and in English language arts, 68.7 percent growth. In seventh grade math, 73 percent demonstrated growth; seventh grade ELS, 62.4 percent growth. Eighth grade math scores showed 56.5 percent growth.
Clapsaddle said that the mid-year report was a little different because of some students cheating and that had been uncovered with some of the students coming forward admitting to the fact. Clapsaddle said because of the issue the scores were not always accurate, however despite the issue there was growth in reading and math at the middle school.
The full meeting continued for a few minutes past an hour before the board adjourned to a closed session. The next regular meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 23.