by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

“If the repairs are going to have to be done, why not have someone help us?” argued Cowan Elementary School teacher April Green at the Sept. 14 Franklin County School Board meeting, urging the board to approve Cowan Elementary applying for a $200,000 grant from TVA to rehab the 40-year-old HVAC system. Trash cans do double duty as buckets to catch the HVAC system’s leaks, Green said. The TVA grant offering up to $200,000 would reimburse the school for building repairs improving energy efficiency. Green wanted a commitment from the board that the district had the money to do the repairs and wait for reimbursement. The school would know if they received the grant before being expected to begin any repairs. Asked if $200,000 would be enough to address the problems with the Cowan Elementary HVAC, Maintenance Director Steven Clark said, “It would take care of a lot of it.”

“I would like to support this,” said Board Chair CleiJo Walker who suggested deferring a final decision until the next meeting to allow Director of Finances Jenny Phillips to research the financial feasibility. Phillips explained the issue hinged on whether the district could purchase infrastructure and later be reimbursed. Rock Creek Elementary will purchase playground equipment with a TVA learning enhancement grant which rewards schools for encouraging students to engage in practices that conserve energy, such as turning off lights. The difference, Phillips maintained, is playground equipment is not considered to be infrastructure. After learning the application deadline was Friday, the board agreed to approve Green moving forward with the application for the building repairs grant. Cowan will also apply for a TVA learning enhancement grant, with $10,000-$25,000 in funding available.

At the meeting’s outset, Nathan Wanuch addressed the board arguing for decreased use of electronic devices as an instructional tool in grades K-5. Wanuch, whose graduate research focused on use of technology in K-12 instruction, is a parent of Franklin County students. “Elementary students should primarily learn from teachers using non-electronic materials,” Wanuch insisted. “When a non-electronic alternative exists, a device should have a benefit for choosing the device. The usefulness of digital assessments should not justify delivering daily instruction through that same device.” Wanuch also argued for enhanced transparency about the devices used in the classroom, pointing out he had to request a meeting with his children’s teachers to learn what devices were being used. Walker asked Wanuch to provide the board with a copy of his remarks.

In regular business, the board elected officers. Walker will continue to serve as chair. Sara Liechty will serve as vice chair, the position formerly held by Lance Williams who did not seek reelection to the board.

Taking up policy amendments, the board approved two changes positively impacting support staff compensation. Designated beneficiaries of deceased support staff will receive the same compensation as beneficiaries of deceased certified staff, 50 percent of the employee’s accrued, unused leave. Another policy change made support staff employed for 12 months eligible for Family and Medical Leave even if the employee did not meet the 1,250-hour eligibility requirement of the federal Family Medical Leave Act.

Other policy changes allowed the board to meet electronically up to three times per year when confronted with inclement weather and required the agenda for board meetings to be posted 48 hours before the meeting, meaning on the preceding Friday for Monday meetings.

In her legislative update, board member Sarah Marhevsky alerted the board to the likelihood the General Assembly would revisit an “open enrollment” bill allowing students to attend any public school of their choice, meaning districts would be required to accept out of zone students. Several questions remain unaddressed. Who will pay for the students’ education, the district where they reside or the district where they attend school? And, will the bill mean students can attend any school, or only a school with classroom space available?