Students likely to be in school on Presidents Day

Despite what this year’s school calendar says, students might be in school on Presidents Day Monday, Feb. 19 to help reduce the number of snow days at the end of this school year.

The Brown County School Board of Trustees pre-approved making Presidents Day a snow make-up day during their Jan. 18 board meeting at Helmsburg Elementary School.

Superintendent Laura Hammack said that if the district’s Teacher Discussion Team agreed that the day could be a snow make-up day at their meeting last week, then the board would officially vote to make the calendar change at the Feb. 1 meeting.

That meeting’s agenda includes a recommendation to change the calendar to use Presidents Day as a snow make-up day. This means there would be three snow make-up days at the end of the school year.

Hammack said that online survey results showed parents/guardians, teachers, Brown County School employees, community members and students all supported the calendar change, too.

The survey was sent to anyone with a Brown County Schools email address and shared on social media.

Hammack said that any absences from school on that day would be excused.

She also took time to thank the corporation bus drivers, Director of Transportation Roger Cline and the transportation department for their response to winter weather. The school district ran on a two-hour delay Jan. 18 after school had been closed Jan. 12 and Jan. 15 to 17.

“The buses did a fantastic job,” she said.

“We didn’t have any hangups. Nobody had any issue. At the end of the day, I was worried, because sometimes, when that slush happens, because of the sunshine it can get even more slippery. They just did awesome. It’s been a difficult week, but we have had wonderful folks to get us through it. I am so sorry that we didn’t have school, but I think it was the right call for these last few days and I’m glad we were able to get back today.”

School board approves donations, staff changes

The Brown County School Board of Trustees approved the following Jan. 18:

• Donation of two Mitsubishi PLC training stations for the Brown County High School Engineering and Technology departments from Enkei. Each station is valued at $3,950. The sum total of the donation is valued at $7,900.
• Donation of $1,000 for the BCHS tennis program from Duke Energy Foundation Grant.
• Maternity leave of Jennifer Olivia Hobbs from approximately April 4 to the end of the 2017-2018 school year.
• A 25-cent increase to the hourly rate for CRC staff including Sue Dillon, Shannon Brunton and Kathryn Kabe. This increase will be retroactive to Jan. 1.
• A recommendation to approve a $1.25 increase to the hourly rate for CRC staff member Sheila Roccia. This raise will be retroactive to Jan. 1, 2018.
• Maternity leave of Samantha Prather from approximately Feb. 22 to April 5.
• Separating Brown County Junior High School seventh-grade volleyball coach Audrey Morgan, effective Jan. 4. This was not a termination.
• Separating BCHS boys’ varsity soccer coach Erich Nolan, effective Jan. 6. This was not a termination.
• Separating BCJHS part-time cafe worker Jessica Oden, effective Jan. 5. This was not a termination.
• Appointing Brown County Schools special needs bus driver Christina Roberston, full-time with benefits, $86 per day, 180 days per year, effective Jan. 9. She is a replacement for Harlan King.
• Appointing BCHS assistant varsity girls track coach Elaine Tillotson, $1,535 stipend, effective Jan. 10.