Gay asked to resign as BOE chairman
By Deborah Bennett Millen News Editor

Jenkins County Board of Education (BOE) Chairman Carroll Gay was asked to step down as chairman of the group during the Monday, April 21, meeting of the BOE. The request came from Robert Jenkins who recently spearheaded a group of local citizens expressing concern over an announcement from the BOE that several teaching/ professional positions would be eliminated the next school term.

"I come to you tonight, Mr. Chairman, to ask you to step down as chairman," Jenkins said during the public participation part of the meeting.

He then requested that Chairman Gay respond with a letter to be published in The Millen News should he decline to relinquish his chairmanship.

"You don't have to give me an answer tonight. I'd rather you address it to the citizens of the county," Jenkins said.

Chairman Gay thanked Jenkins for his "honesty" and then proceeded according to the established agenda.

An affidavit of sale for the old primary school property to Turning Leaf, Inc. was approved. Chairman Gay explained that the organization had plans to renovate the property for an assisted living facility.

"It will be a multi-million dollar project that will put it back on the tax books," he said.

Debra Herrmann, Jenkins County School Food Service director, reported that due to the dramatic increase in the county's unemployment rate since the free lunch program began in 2001, 57 percent, the school system would not be required to recertify students for free and reduced-price meals for an additional fouryear cycle. This would result in a sizeable reduction of paperwork, she said.

Jenkins County School Superintendent Joan Blackwood reported that the number of students enrolled in the school system was down by 14 as of April 15. Most of the students had transferred to other systems or moved, she noted.

Superintendent Blackwood also reported that an agreement had been reached with St. Bernadette Catholic Church for use of their property adjacent to the new gymnatorium for a parking area. The school system will pay $1 per year for use of the property and install a fence to separate the parking area from the church.

Other actions taken by the BOE included the following:

• Approved several fundraising activities at Jenkins County Middle School (JCMS) and Jenkins County High School (JCHS);

• Approved the use of a school bus to transport students during the Summer Lunch Program;

• Approved the expenditure of $1,300 in Educational Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (ESPLOST) revenue to Parking Engineering for a preliminary drainage report on the wetlands at the site of the new gymnatorium;

• Approved the purchase of a security alarm system from Superior Alarms in the amount of $2,837 with funds to come from ESPLOST revenue;

• Accepted the resignations of Kathryn Crosby and Connie Cooper, Jenkins County Elementary School (JCES) teachers; Tracy Lane; Amber Arrington, JCMS teacher; and Donna Kennedy and Early Lloyd, JCHS;

• Approved the employment of Ashley Williams, JCES; Jamar Dunnum, JCMS; and Jean Kirby, JCHS;

• Approved administrative transfer of Cheryl Conley to JCHS; and

• Approved adjustment in JROTC personnel contracts.