By Marcia Barnes
Staff Writer
Board member Reba Beck made a request to address the board during the Monday night regular meeting on Nov. 25. It was a bittersweet moment as Beck thanked board members.
“I just wanted to take this opportunity to publicly say what an honor and a privilege it has been to serve this community for eight years as a member of this board. I had no idea just what was exactly involved, but I learned quickly and I had wonderful tutors who were already on board to guide and help,” Beck said.
Beck said that she thoroughly had enjoyed working with the board and staff and representing the faculty in such a way as to make sure students had their focus on excellence, opportunity and achievement.
“I’m really saddened to leave,” Beck said. “But Josh Ashe is going to do a great job.”
As Beck ended thanking the board, many “thank you’s” resonated back from board members to Beck for her dedication and work. Superintendent Melissa Godfrey personally thanked Beck and said that Ms. Beck had made her first year so much easier.
Sportsmanship and athletic achievement were recognized during the Board of Education meeting when Men’s Soccer Coach Matt Dye introduced and congratulated Raul Rivera-Prieta who made All Conference. Jackson Dye, Hayden Hunt, Eli Chandler and Colin Walker received Honorable Mention All Conference.
Dye said that the attendance record of the players and their dedication to the team was outstanding. “They made the playoffs,” Dye said.
The Superintendent’s Report included an update from Jenny Bethel, School Nutrition Director. More students are participating in the free breakfast and free lunch which is offered at the schools this year.
Future Farmers of America also took center-stage in being recognized. Silas Brown and student members of FFA joined 70,000 members from 50 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands at the FFA National Convention in Indianapolis. Brown said that for the students from Hayesville it was eye-opening.
Clay County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Todd Wingate, a former FFA member himself, attended the convention as chaperon for the students. Wingate said that there was great diversity in what the students were exposed to in three to four short days and that the organization has grown to more than a million strong in the United States.
“I would dare say FFA is now the premier leadership organization for youth in our country and possibly in the world. These kids are learning more than just how to plant corn and drive tractors and how to bale hay. There’s a lot of tradition in that and a lot of honor in that hard, hard labor.
“The field of agriculture and our future, feeding our country and feeding others in the world is something that’s very daunting and the science and technology behind it is something we can step into the line and do,” Wingate said.
There will be a charter meeting in late January to form an alumni association to support the local FFA chapter.
Budget amendments presented by Chief Finance Officer Shelley Hollingsworth were approved by the board. In the State Public School Fund the revised budget increased from $13,060,804.17 to $13,214,198.17.
Amendment notes in the Federal Grants Fund included $2,060 for Career and Technology Education; $293,000 for Improving Teacher Quality and $17,167.37 for Student Support and Academic Enrichment.
The next regular board meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 16.