By Deborah Bennett Millen News Editor

Jenkins County students will go to school fewer days the 2010- 2011 school year. The Jenkins County Board of Education (BOE) approved the action during the group’s April 19 meeting.

Students will attend school 170 days, a reduction of 10 days, but will receive the same amount of instructional minutes as required by the state. Teachers will work 180 days as opposed to the normal 190 days, taking 10 furlough days.

Jenkins County School Superintendent Melissa Williams recommended the adjustment as part of plans to deal with an expected $1 million reduction in state funding the new school term. The change, she said, would save the school system approximately $450,000.

Superintendent Williams said that she was recommending the action in keeping with the BOE’s instructions to prepare the 2010- 2011 budget with two goals in mind: retaining all employees and compensating for the expected revenue loss without raising taxes.

Above, Members of the school system’s District Accreditation Team recognized are, from left, Melissa Williams, Debbie Fountain, Joey Kirkland, Debra Herrmann, Damita Bynes, Nichole Moulton, Susan Purvis, Jim Jarvis and Randy Dailey. At right, Ayana Walker, state literary competition, region first place winner, is shown during her presentation to the Jenkins County Board of Education. BOE member Roderick Campbell inquired as to how the system would save the additional $550,000 needed to which Superintendent Williams replied that she was still looking at ways to accomplish the task.

The other option considered was to go to a 4-day school week. The savings, however, would have only been approximately $110,000, Superintendent Williams said.

In other matters, enrollment in the school system was reported at 1,505 students, an increase of three students over the previous reporting period.

Teachers of the Year at the schools were also announced as follows: Jenkins County Elementary School, Melissa Cobb; Jenkins County Middle School, Monica Broxton; and Jenkins County High School, Col. Kenneth Wade. The teachers will be officially recognized during the school system’s post-planning meeting this month.

The JROTC team was recognized by the BOE as state champions, and Ayana Walker, as a state literary competition, first place, region winner. Also, recognized was the school system’s District Accreditation Team.

Other actions taken by the BOE included: approving 4-H program assistant employment contract and approving the employment of Tammy Hendley as Jenkins County Elementary School principal.

[Editor’s Note: The photo of JROTC team members will run in a later edition.]