By By SHERRY DIGMON
Advance Staff Writer
A recent raise for members of the Escambia County Board of Education was rescinded at last week's meeting.
At a special meeting at the end of August, the board voted to increase their pay from $300 to $600 a month, but the raise was not to go into effect until November. Board members Jimmy Dukes and Larry Madden abstained. They are not returning to the board next term.
At a September meeting, board member W.J. Grissett made a motion to rescind that vote and make the increase effective immediately. The motion passed.
Since then, Superintendent Buck Powell has determined that the raise could not legally become effective until November. However, the raise has be addressed before the regular November meeting. New board members are sworn in at the first regular board meeting after the general election in November. The general election is Nov. 7. Board members will be sworn in on Nov. 16.
Following the vote to rescind the raise, the board voted to hold a special meeting on Nov. 1, 4 p.m., at the central office, to address the pay raise.
Dukes and Madden abstained.
In other business, the board
n approved the summer budget for Turtle Point Science Center.
n approved an agreement between the Escambia County Board of Education and local school secretaries concerning supplement pay. The board previously had voted not to pay supplemental pay for the three secretaries at Escambia County High School, determining that they should be paid out of that school's funds.
However, since the policy was in effect at the beginning of the school year, the board voted to pay it through this year and review the policy before the next school term.
n approved Powell's attendance at the SACS meeting in Atlanta in December.
n approved a $1,500 athletic supplement to Flomaton Middle School. Other middle schools in the county were receiving a $1,500 athletic supplement, so FMS asked for the same. The money will be divided between the boys and girls basketball programs.
n approved a bid for $$11,510 from Mobile Fixtures for one mobile heated serving counter and one mobile self-contained cold pan serving counter at Huxford Elementary School.
n approved payment to Attendance Officer Donna Revel for eight days of overtime during July.
n approved changing travel expense from 25 cents to 30 cents per mile. Powell did a comparison of surrounding systems and found that Escambia County was not in line with others.
n approved Rene Wilkins, Gwen Walton and Billy Hines as certified PEPE Evaluators of Principals. All three have successfully completed the principals' PEPE training.
n approved the following board policies to meet standards set by the State Department of Education and current laws of Alabama: state and federal guidelines, board employees and tobacco, board employees and weapons, and alcohol and drug use. This item has to remain on the table for 30 days, then may be voted on for final approval.
n approved the participation of the Brewton city school system in the Career Development Center in Brewton at a cost of $224 per student per month. Brewton city students will be allowed to attend the county vocational school or technical center.
n accepted the Brewton city school system's offer to pay $4,707 for their share of the salary for job coach, one of the tech school positions.
n heard request from W.S. Neal High School to borrow $15,500 to clear a debt incurred by the yearbook staff. Powell presented this request per a letter from WSNHS Principal Phillip Ellis.
The loss apparently occurred over a four-year period.
Board member Danny Benjamin asked if the matter could be discussed without going into executive session. He was told it could not.
Following an executive session, the request was tabled.
n recognized Julie Green, special education teacher at W.S. Neal Elementary School, for an honor recently received.
n heard a budget update from Julie Madden.
n nominated Patty Helton Davis and Cleve Robertson to serve on the County Board of Equalization.
n set the next regular meeting for Nov. 16, 4:30 p.m., at the central office in Brewton.