School board hears budget report, approves handbooks

Lots of family, friends and school associates were at the Board of Education office on Tuesday, July 8, to offer their well wishes to retiring Director of Schools George Chapman. Pictured are (from left) retiring board chairman Patricia Gruenewald, Chapman, board member Joe Barden IV, who is not seeking re-election, and Interim Director of Schools Doris Battle.

Director of Schools George Chapman accepted words of kindness and appreciation at a reception in his honor on Tuesday, July 8, before the monthly board meeting. Then the School Board was very busy for more than three hours taking care of business. Among other items of business, they approved, with a few revisions, each of the school’s handbooks, approved Interim Director Doris Battle’s contract and the proposed budget for 2008-2009.

Board members received a copy of the Tennessee Comprehensive Systemwide Planning Process rating sheet for the plan that they approved for submission at the June 10 meeting. This rating sheet verified that the Haywood Schools plan was approved by the state. “This plan drives everything we do,” Director Battle said, adding that it includes operational goals for the next several years in all areas of our educational system.

Next on the agenda was a presentation of the proposed budget by Mrs. Battle and Director of Business Operations Vincent Harvell. Although they went through the line items in all areas, the bottom line is that the board will present to the County Commission a balanced budget of about $23,000,000, and they will not ask for any additional funding from the commission.

As board members studied the changes made in each school’s handbook, they had some discussion about the new standard dress policy that the board approved and will go into effect on August 1 for the 2008-2010 school year. Copies of this dress policy are in the recently released “Notebook” that is distributed around town and on the school’s website at www.haywoodschools.com.

The next Haywood County School Board meeting will be held Tuesday, August 12,2008.