School Board work session

The Hoover School Board work session tonight was calm and uneventful.   Mrs. Baker, Mrs. Frazier, and Mr. Defnall were present.

The Board reviewed the personnel actions with little comment.  I'll post those after Monday night's meeting.

The Board studied the business actions.  Mrs. Baker had a few questions about particular expenditures which were answered by CFO Cathy Antee.  A debt service payment was made in August, which made expenditures higher than other months.  Mr. Craig notified the Board that a called meeting may be needed at the end of next month to close out the fiscal year.

Mrs. Antee explained that a revised 2008 budget will be presented to the Board.  There were problems with the software that generated the reports that were given to the Board previously.  This has been corrected, and new reports generated.  The corrections led to an increase of $13,000 in the budget, as it is shown on the reports.

The Board reviewed proposed contracts with a speech pathologist and and orientation and mobility specialist.  Not details were released yet.

Mr. Defnall asked Mr. McBay if most major constructions contracts are closing in on completion.  Mr. McBay replied that the contract for the Berry Middle School addition has some things that are still waiting.  That is due to the contractor's delay.  The system is holding some money out on that contract.  The construction contract on the Freshman Campus will likely be closed out at the next Board meeting.

Mrs. Frazier asked about Judge Pointer's final bill.  It has been received, but has not yet been paid.

Mrs. Baker asked about the new voice mail system installed by the school system.  She reported that it is not possible to reach someone's voice mail using certain types of Blackberry devices.  She also asked whether all the technology hook-ups are completed at Spain Park.  Mr. Dodson reported that they are 99% complete.  They are complete at all the other secondary schools.  There are a few minor issues in a few classrooms.

Mrs. Baker read a response to the comments of the City Council that have been published in the newspaper.  She said that the decision to hire Judge Pointer and his firm to do the investigation was a unanimous vote of the whole board.  This investigation could not have been carried out by internal means.  She is unhappy that the school system finds itself in this situation, but is eager to reach a solution to the issue.  She urged the public to give the Board time to deal with scheduling issues and complete the matter.

Mr. Sweeney asked the Board to go into executive session to discuss matters of pending or threatened litigation.  The board voted to do so.  Mrs. Frazier said that no actions would be take when the board returned to open session.  The Board went into executive session, and most of the spectators left the building.