Lumpkin, Ga – The Lumpkin County School Board approved using a portion of the CARES Act money to buy all the school supplies for every student enrolled in the 2021-22 school year. Also, they also approved the initial budget for the fiscal year 2022 and employee recommendations.

The board recognized five teachers who have been attending the GSLA Teacher Leader Academy.

Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Jennifer Moss presented to the board a plan to use a portion of the CARES Act money to buy all the school supplies for the upcoming school year. The CARES Act is an economic stimulus plan put in place by President Trump to help with the economic fallout of COVID-19. This act does stipulate that the county can not cut taxes so this plan would help the parents out in a different way.

There will be a flyer posted at Wal-Mart and on all Lumpkin County social media sites along with being sent home with the children on the first day of school. There will be specific supplies sent to each grade level according to what those students will need for the term, and there will also be additional funds given to each school to address requests teachers may have for specialized items.

“Parents will not receive any type of supply list from any teacher in our school system, so we would completely fund all of their supplies for the 21/22 school year,” stated Moss.

Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Jennifer Moss presenting to the board.

Moss has already met with Wal-Mart to begin getting quotes on how much this would cost and Wal-Mart donated 1,000 bottles of Grem-X upfront. Moss will also be meeting with other vendors for additional quotes as well.

Chief Financial Officer Shannon Christian proposed an initial budget for the 2022 fiscal year. The projected total revenues for the year are $43,314,249.00 with a beginning balance of $3,725,000.00 leftover from this year. The revenues will come from Local sources such as taxes, State sources, State and Federal Grants, and the CARES Act.

The projected total expenditures will be $41,325,113.00 with an ending balance of $5,714,136.00. The expenditures are broken down as Step Raises, Upgrades, & TRS Increase, Added Positions & Profession Learning, Maintenance, Transportation & Software, also included is an additional $50,000 to go to the city for the stormwater tax.

“Just to be clear we are getting zero benefits that we know of from the city for the rain water tax,” stated Board member Jim McClure.

There will be two public budget meetings the first on Monday, June 21 at 6:00 p.m. and the second on Wednesday, July 7 at 12:00 p.m. and the board will vote on a final budget in their July board meeting on July 12 at 7:00 p.m.

Assistant Superintend Sharon Head presented the board with employee recommendations for the next school year and the board approved all recommendations. The recommendations consist of hiring one new counselor to replace one that is resigning, one new teacher, four new paraprofessionals, a student worker is also resigning, one transfer to a principal position, and four transfers to assistant principal. For more information on the new employee, changes visit https://www.lumpkinschools.com/o/lumpkin-county-schools/article/479896

GSLA Teacher Leader Academy Teachers with Assistant Superiented and Melissa Williams. Sharon Head (Left), Beth Hawk, Casandra Alldred, Julie Caldwell, Jammie Crane, Katie Powell, and Melissa Williams(Right).

Lastly, Melissa Williams of Pioneer Ressa presented the board with five teachers who have been taking the GSLA Teacher Leader Academy. These teachers were nominated by the school system to explore further leadership opportunities going forward. The teachers that participated were asked to give presentations to the board highlighting the leadership journey. The teachers recognized were Casandra Alldred, Jammine Crane, Julie Coldwell, Beth Hawk, and Katie Powell.