By Fred Guarino
The Lowndes Signal

The Lowndes County School District has district wide accreditation for the first time.

Lowndes County School Superintendent Dr. Daniel Boyd made the announcement of the accreditation from AdvanceED at the Thursday, Dec. 12 meeting of the Lowndes County Board of Education.

“It means that the whole system is accredited,” Boyd said, “which is something we’re really proud of.”

He said, “I applaud the work of the school principals and the central office.”

Boyd explained in the past schools were accredited in the district on a school-by -school basis, which he said was good, as all the schools were accredited. “But this accreditation ranks higher than having your individual schools accredited,” he said.

He explained that it is “more prestigious and it is better for a school system.”

Also, at last Thursday’s meeting, Boyd and the Board of Education recognized quarterly award winners.

They include Quinesha McCall, of Lowndes County Middle School as Student of the Quarter; Katrina Moore, a Hayneville Middle School parent, as Parent of the Quarter; Antionette Gary of Jackson-Steele Elementary as Volunteer of the Quarter; Mary Edwards of Student Transportation as Support Personnel of the Quarter; Sherviticus Drish of Jackson-Steele Elementary as Teacher of the Quarter; Assistant Principal Renata Hollins of Calhoun High School as Principal of the Quarter; and Kimberly Washington, director of human resources for the school system, as Administrator of the Quarter.

School Board member Robert Grant asked Boyd about having all schools in the district audited.

According to Boyd, normally the auditor selects schools randomly. He said he would have to find out how the process would work to audit all of them.

Action items were approved on a three-two vote. Board members Annie C. Hunter and Grant voted no. Board President Ben Davis, Board Vice President Steve Foster and Board member Denise Davis-Maye all voted yes.

On personnel actions, Hunter abstained and Grant voted no. Davis, Foster and Davis-Maye all voted yes.

As to their votes, Hunter said she needed more information and Grant declined to comment other than to say it was his opinion.

The board unanimously approved an annual bond payment for the refurbishing of The Calhoun School of $293,600, $15,000 for maintenance at the school and $7,200 to purchase chairs for graduation exercises at The Calhoun School all from the Charlotte Thorn Trust Fund interest.

After more than an hour in executive session to discuss good name and character of certain individuals, Davis said there were no decisions and no votes taken.

Hollins, who also serves as president of the Lowndes County Education Association said that group is holding a nursing home drive and asked each school in the district to donate 25 items which would be delivered the 20th of December to the Orchard Rehabilitation Healthcare Center in Hayneville.

In his report, Boyd said the school system is accepting bids for a covered walk at Hayneville Middle School and that an architect agreement for reproofing of the bus shop will be recommended at the January board meeting.

Action items included:
•Contracts approved were between the board and Nohab Business Products LLC for a copier at the central office, Cassie Harris (self-assessment monitoring for the Lowndes County Head Start Program, BLN Financial Services Inc. (financial training for the Lowndes County Head Start Program, and Robert Little, keynote speaker for the assembly for select students/parents and professional development for select employees.
•October 2013 Financial Statement for the Lowndes County Head Start Program.
•Revenues and Expenditures report, financial statement and payroll register for October 2013 based on reconciled bank statements.
•Personnel report.