Paulding students will start two weeks earlier and will be finished one week earlier in the new school year under the 2010-2011 calendar approved by the Board of Education on a 6-1 vote Jan. 26.

“We received almost 8,000 votes on the three calendars being considered,” said Deputy Superintendent Cliff Cole. Calendars A and B received the most support, with calendar B listed as first choice by the largest number of responders, added Cole.

Calendar B is the same plan used by Cobb and Cherokee counties, said Cole. “Cherokee was approved several years ago and Cobb was approved about two months ago.”

“My concern is that we have waited too long in approving this and it might be best just to stay with calendar A as it is closer to what we are now doing,” said board member Kim Cobb.

Cobb voted against the motion to approve the new calendar, saying “I believe we should have done this earlier as churches and other groups plan their calendars around the school calendar.”

The first day of school will be Aug. 2 and the last will be May 27. Other than starting and ending earlier, students will have the same break periods as during the current school year with one exception. Next year, an additional fall break has been added for the week of Sept. 20-24.

“The approved calendar will provide for 180 student days and 190 teacher days,” said Cole.

“The legislature had talked some about cutting five required days for students next year, but I would not put too much into that,” said Superintendent Larry Ragsdale.

In the two previous years the school year started later in August to provide more time for the district to complete construction on new schools. This year construction projects are projected to be finished earlier, allowing the earlier start of school.

The board unanimously approved two other recommendations from Ragsdale.

Asset disposals for the district were approved after two items on the list were questioned by Cobb. Cobb asked why a relatively new television was on the list and requested more details on stolen laptops.

Brett Cave reported that it would have been too expensive to repair the television and that the laptops had been stolen from the truck of an ESOL teacher. A police report was filed on the theft, according to Cave.

Two individuals addressed the board regarding proposed redistricting of all high schools and three elementary schools. The district is currently receiving feedback before presenting a final recommendation for board action Feb. 9.

Heather Durden, a resident of Seven Hills subdivision, voiced opposition to the proposal to transfer some students from Shelton Elementary to the new W.C. Abney school next year.

“There are a number of concerns we want to express to the board,” said Durden. “Under this proposal, 138 children would be transferred to Abney.”

Durden cited safety concerns in bus transportation, with an extended commute time along a narrow road without guardrails. “It is approximately one mile to Shelton and over five miles to Abney,” said Durden. “This will add to transportation costs for the county. We are asking the board to leave the current community together.”

Maslyn Greene, a student at North Paulding High, addressed the board about being in another school district next year.

“I feel that students should have a vote on what is going to happen,” said Greene. “All of my friends are staying at North Paulding, and we have a good learning situation there.”

Greene said if school choice were an option to remain at North Paulding that still would present a problem for her. “Both my parents work full time and it would be very hard for them to take me to and from school with transportation not being provided.

“I understand that when McEachern High School went through redistricting students continued to receive transportation to finish at the school.”

Greene also expressed concerns about safety at the other high school. “I am afraid to go to East Paulding as I have heard that it is a very violent school,” said Greene.

“We know this is a very emotional topic and we appreciate you coming to talk with the board today,” said Ragsdale.

During the Jan. 12 meeting Ragsdale informed the board that he would have more information available regarding four possible projects to be funded from SPLOST funds should the referendum be approved by voters in July or November. The purpose of funding these projects would be to take pressure off the general operating funds that are normally used.

Director of Transportation Jim Black reported on transportation needs expected for the district and said, “we did not buy a single bus this year. We can go one more year, but after that we are really pushing the situation.”

According to Black, buses had typically been used on routes for 10 years and then moved to a backup role for five years before being considered surplus. “We have now extended this to 12 years, but if you go beyond that you start looking at reliability and structure issues,” said Black.

Due to new requirements for diesel engines, Black estimated that the price of a new bus could rise from about $72,000 to up to $100,000 during the span of the new SPLOST.

Board member Kim Curl asked if buses could be purchased from counties that have lost student population and thus might have excess buses. “We are not seeing a lot out there because brokers are buying the buses and sending to South America,” said Black. “Districts are keeping buses longer, and that reduces the number available for sale.”

“We are also seeing more students riding buses now due to the economy,” said Ragsdale.

“Three years ago, buses were about 50 percent full and now it is closer to 90 percent,” said Black.

Macy Defnall, executive director of curriculum, updated the board about costs for textbook replacements.

Defnall reported that the district had spent about $600,000 during the year just to provide for new students and to replace damaged textbooks. According to Defnall, $3.7 million will be needed just to maintain the number of textbooks needed during the life of a new SPLOST.

Board chair Kathy West asked if the district could get textbooks on CD-ROM. ”I think it is wonderful, and probably 70 percent of the textbooks are on line now,” Defnall replied.

“You should not think that the companies will give us these CDs free of charge,” added Ragsdale.

Marty Turner, executive director of maintenance and facilities, discussed maintenance needs that could be funded from a renewal of SPLOST.

Currently the county is budgeting about $12 million per year for maintenance in the district, and using SPLOST funding would reduce the pressure on the operating budget.

Turner reported that carpet in some schools had not been replaced for many years, some dating back to 1996. “Carpet is a big deal when you start having problems with mold, mildew and carpet bucking up, and this is especially true with the rolled carpet we had in older buildings,” said Turner.

In addition to carpet replacements, Turner outlined septic system problems at several schools, security systems that need to be upgraded and HVAC systems that need to be replaced.

Turner informed the board that two football fields need considerable work. “We can spend $30,000 to $60,000 at East Paulding and Paulding County as a Band-Aid fix or spend $250,000 [each] to fix the fields as they should be,” said Turner.

“I think the money needs to be spent on other needs in the county,” said Cobb.

Board member Joe Watson asked if HVAC systems would be replaced with like systems and was informed that was the plan, with the new systems to be much more energy efficient.

Turner also informed the board that all current construction projects in the district are on target for completion by the end of June.

The fourth project involving technology improvements will be brought to the board at the Feb. 9 meeting.

In other presentations to the board, Dr. Susan Myers, Title I director, recognized four elementary schools cited by the Georgia Department of Education as 2009-2010 Title I Distinguished Schools. “This year the schools will receive a monetary award,” said Myers.

Recognition for the honor is based on the number of consecutive years a Title I school makes Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), with three years the minimum for consideration. Allgood has met AYP for nine consecutive years, Northside and Union for seven years and Poole for six years.

Dr. Ramona Talley, career and technical education director, briefed the board on Career Pathways being offered to Paulding students.

“This is not your father’s career tech,” said Ragsdale. “We want to be able to serve all our students.”

Career Pathways offers students the opportunity to take classes in high school that can lead to certification in a designated field upon graduation.

Gayle Blalock, chief financial officer, reported that “everything is on schedule for collections and expenditures this year.”

After returning from executive session, several board members raised questions regarding items not on the agenda.

Board member Michael Skelton wanted to know if the school district would look at the possibility of allowing classified employees to take a leave of absence for student teaching. This would be in situations where the employee is continuing education to become a teacher, and the leave of absence would prevent them from being penalized for losing time.

Ragsdale agreed to look into the issue.

Cobb asked Ragsdale about the status of make up days for students, and the superintendent said “we will have recommendations for the board at the Feb. 23 meeting, but no days will be made up until after the February break. The most popular option thus far would be to extend the school day.”

Ragsdale said spring break would not be affected.

West questioned Ragsdale about whether the district is being proactive regarding future budget cuts, and the superintendent assured the board that the district is already anticipating future cuts.