by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

At a March 30 special called meeting of the Franklin County School Board, Director of Schools Stanley Bean recommended dismissal of a Clark Memorial Elementary tenured teacher. Bean presented the board with a copy of the charges for dismissal.

The board unanimously approved a motion that if any of the charges were true, the dismissal was warranted. In addition, the motion stated the teacher charged has the right to a hearing. Request for a hearing must be made within 30 days.

Clark Memorial is the ninth school in the system the teacher recommended for dismissal has been transferred to as a result of performance issues. The charges include inappropriate restraint procedures and physically grabbing students; leaving students unattended; canceling class without authority or approval; making unkind and demeaning comments to students; and making disrespectful and disparaging remarks to colleagues.

Bean also updated the board on the recent receipt of $9.6 million in ESSER III funds. ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) is federal money allocated to K-12 educational entities to prevent, prepare for, and respond to impacts of COVID-19. This is the third distribution.

Bean said the ESSER guidelines had changed. Formerly 20 percent of the money needed to be spent on after school programs, but that stipulation no longer applies. The other significant change extended the date for spending the ESSER funds to 2024.