School Board members at their meeting on April 8 heard from Miguel Cobb and other members of the Haywood High School Purple Academic Decathlon Team about their state competition experience in March. Their team placed fifth in the State. This is the 22nd year the school has participated in the competition.

The Haywood County School Board met on Tuesday night, April 8, and among other business, board members congratulated members of the HHS Purple Academic Decathlon Team, which placed 5th in the state out of 15 schools competing at the contest several weeks ago.

Two of the four students, Trey McAdams and Max Battle, who attended SCOPE (Student Congress on Policies in Education) in Nashville recently reported to board members about their experience. This organization brings high schools students from across the state together to discuss major topics in education. They learn about educational issues through mock school board meetings, discussions and debates. Battle talked about some of the issues they discussed, and McAdams said he learned how hard it is to be on a school board. Also attending were students Chris Brown and Ronesha Wilkins and HHS teacher Randy Jetton.

Director Chapman reported on the progress with the replacement of the visitor’s seats at the stadium. He said that Haywood County Schools will publish a request for bids next week in the States-Graphic for the bleachers, then in several weeks a request for a general contractor to build dressing rooms for both teams and do some work on the home side. The home side needs cleaning and sealing and a ramp built for the handicapped. The urgency is to get the project done in time for the football season that starts in August. The estimated cost approved by the County Commission – nearly $500,000.

Board members also revisited the standard dress code and agreed for Director Chapman to meet with principals at Anderson, Haywood Elementary and East Side schools to discuss any adjustments needed in the code for younger students.

Director George Chapman also discovered that there needs to be some deed changes on school properties. The Haywood County Board of Education is on the deed of three schools, Sunny Hill, Haywood Junior and Haywood High – while East Side and Haywood Elementary are owned by the county. Anderson’s deed says the City of Brownsville Board of Education – which, of course, is no longer in existence. County Attorney Michael Banks will complete the paperwork to make sure the School Board is the deed holder on all the properties.

Fourteen teachers in the system were recommended and approved for tenure by the board. Those approved were: at Anderson, Mary Colling and Virginia Williams; at Haywood Elementary, Shalonda Pugh and Alexandria Seaton; at East Side, Kellie Davis, Leslie Essary, maria Hart and Denise Shead; at Haywood Junior High School, Eliabeth Carlson, Chrystel Roach and Amanda Stanton; and at Haywood High, Ryan Diffee, Bowen Norville and Matthew Shearon.

In other business, five school buses on a recommended list were given three more years of life when board members approved the extension of use. This is allowed by the state on the condition that the buses are inspected on a regular basis.

Board members agreed on $14,000 as the amount of money it will allot to scholarships that will be given this year from the Catherine Colhoun Trust Fund. The fund has a balance of $319,404.

The board also adopted social studies books for grades kindergarten through 12. The Haywood County Relay for Life received permission from the board to use the stadium for its annual event on June 13.