School Board members recognize Teachers of the Year

At the Haywood County School Board meeting on February 13, Mary Jones (left) and Michelle Tillman (center) received plaques from Haywood County School Board Chairman Patricia Gruenewald, recognizing them as two of the county’s Teachers of the Year. Jones is a second-grade teacher at Haywood Elementary, and Tillman is the choir teacher at Haywood High.


Jerilyn Thornton (left), the librarian at Haywood Junior High School, is the county’s third Teacher of the Year. She also received a plaque and “thank you” from school board chairman Patricia Gruenewald.
 

When Haywood County School Board members met in regular session Tuesday night, among other business, they recognized the Haywood County Teachers of the Year. In grades K-4, Mary Jones, a second-grade teacher at Haywood Elementary was selected. Haywood Junior High School librarian Jerilyn Thornton was chosen as the Teacher of the Year in grades 5-8, and in grades 9-12, HHS choir director Michelle Tillman received the honor. Board Chairman Patricia Gruenewald presented each with a plaque and thanked them for their service to the children of Haywood County.

In other business, board members heard from Director of Schools George Chapman about the governor’s proposal regarding more money for Tennessee schools, capital projects at Haywood High, the recent absentee issues, the Catherine Truss Colhoun Trust, and the lease of the Sunny Hill School farm property. They also welcomed three school board members who were there to observe them as part of the renewal for the state’s Board of Distinction process. The Haywood County School Board has met the requirements and held that designation for many years. Visiting were Rodney Eubanks from the Tipton County Board of Education, Sarah Harrell of the Lauderdale County Board of Education, and Bob Alvey of the Jackson-Madison County Board of Education.

Director Chapman told board members about the Governor Phil Bredesen’s State of the State address that focused solely on education. Among the governor’s proposal for education spending, Director Chapman said the Haywood County System would benefit most from an increase to $120 million in funds for at-risk children. Chapman said that the state has paid for at risk kids in grades K-3, then they broadened that to include K-5. Now they will pay for at-risk kids in grades K-12. In Haywood County, 83 percent of the student population is considered at risk by qualifying for free or reduced lunches, and if this passes, Chapman said county schools could see about $859,000 in new money, based on last year’s attendance.

Several capital projects were on the board’s agenda at the February meeting. Director Chapman first reported to board members that the renovation of the high school was only about a week away from completion. The project began last summer and cost about $891,000. Now, three other capital projects are underway, including new bleachers at the high school and renovation at both the baseball field and a softball field at the Haywood County-Methodist Complex for the high school players. Dugouts at both sites will be complete in time for this year’s season, and the rest of the work will probably be finished by this summer. The bleachers are expected to be installed in the Haywood High gymnasium in March. The funds for these three projects, which cost about $295,000, came from the balance of a bond issue the county made several years ago for improvements in schools and other county departments.

According to Director Chapman, the Catherine Truss Colhoun Trust holds a balance of $340,000. This fund, a donation made by the Colhoun family in 1999, is used to provide scholarships for Haywood High School graduates.

Board members also learned that Hendrix Farms won the bid on a three-year lease of the Sunny Hill School farmland.

Director Chapman also reported to board members about the recent absenteeism that became an issue when so many local students were out sick in the last several weeks. He said the total number of students absent from schools reached the 700 mark, before receding last week to a little over half that amount.

The next board meeting will be held on March 13.





 

Copyright 2008 Haywood County Schools.