By ALICIA LEONARD
The Walton County School Board met in their regularly scheduled meeting Sept. 6. The board moved through their agenda opening items, approving past minutes and the agenda before them unanimously.
The request for public comments drew a citizen, Mrs. Cole, to the podium that commented on the need for the new financial officer of the Walton County School system to have a degree in finance as well as be hired at a salary commensurate with experience and that they believed the job description has been changed to suit an applicant.
Walton County School Superintendent Carlene Anderson refuted that the job description was changed and responded, “The job description allows that years of experience may be considered in lieu of or certifications.” Anderson added that the board would have to have met to change a job description and it would also have to be advertised. “We hired under the existing job description,” Anderson added.
Anderson then recommended all the items under the consent agenda and the board approved unanimously.
Anderson then requested the board consider a resolution to borrow “money for the tax anticipation note in the amount of $14.1 million for the temporary cash flow to be paid back by April 7, 2012. It’s just a temporary borrowing until the receipts come in from taxes. We do this every year so we can get to that point. We have to pay our employees and pay our bills until the time comes in for our taxes.” The motion was approved unanimously.
Board member Mark Davis raised the question of job descriptions and Chair Sharon Roberts briefly discussed any changes in job descriptions and to revisit the issue. The board then moved unanimously to approve personnel recommendations.
The board also moved unanimously to advertise for facility repairs of an exterior wall at West DeFuniak Elementary School.
The board then moved unanimously to approve advertising and final plan approval for Walton Athletic Complex.
Just as a side note, Anderson told the board that enrollment as of two weeks ago, the school is seeing an additional 273 students.
The next meeting of the Walton County School Board will be Sept. 20 at 5 p.m.