By ALICIA LEONARD
The Walton County School Board met at their new morning time for regularly scheduled board meetings on Jan. 10, 2012.
Pat McDaniel from the Panhandle Area Consortium (PAC) addressed the board first. “I wanted to congratulate you on your school scores, I see you are leading the state, and I wanted to congratulate you on that.” He continued that he was proud that Walton would be approving a contract between the Walton School system and PAC to receive funds for students from a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) grant for $4.5 million that had been awarded to area PAC schools to help pick out and steer students interested in those areas to receive the tools and funds needed to pursue educations in those areas of study. “That’s what this STEM is all about. We motivate them and let them dream and pursue their dreams through the STEM program.”
The board then moved to unanimously approve the agenda before them and adopt the minutes from the Dec. 6 meeting. There were no public comments when the board called for them and they moved onto the next items before them.
The board then moved to approve all items under the consent agenda before them. Board member Mildred Wilkerson then made a comment that she wanted to make sure that no students who had been suspended were allowed to participate in extracurricular activities as she had been concerned that the year prior a group of students were allowed to participate that were at the time under suspension. Walton County School Superintendent Carlene Anderson reassured Wilkerson that she would consult with school principals to make sure this didn’t happen and if board members or principals were aware of any student that should not be allowed to participate in extracurricular activities that comes for approval before the board, she requested that it be brought to her attention as soon as possible.
The action agenda come before the board. The board moved unanimously to approve to advertise notice of rule development and notice of intent to adopt the policies and procedures for the pedagogical usage of social media outlets in Walton County schools. They then moved to approve the lowest and most responsive bid for stadium bleachers for Emerald Coast Middle School (ECMS). The approval of bids for band instruments for ECMS was tabled until the next meeting on Jan. 24 at 5 p.m. due to vendors’ names and amounts needing to be specified in the motion for approval and the board did not have that information in front of them at this meeting. The bids for both were opened on Jan. 5, 2012.
The board then moved to approve the 2012-2013 school calendar committee and board member Mark Davis was appointed to serve on the committee as well. The board then unanimously approved five student expulsions.
The board then approved unanimously to approve travel for three board members to attend the 25th Annual Legislator Day sponsored by the Florida School Board Association from Jan. 25-27 in Tallahassee. Board members Dennis Wallace, Faye Leddon and Sharon Roberts will attend.
Next, board member Faye Leddon questioned why a new fleet vehicle the school had purchased had not had a quote solicited from a local car dealership. “I think we should try and keep business in Walton County if possible.” Anderson responded that all dealerships in the area were welcome to submit a quote on the vehicle purchase. The purchase for the vehicle was previously budgeted and the hybrid vehicle purchase price was $24,500.
The next board meeting will be a second specially scheduled meeting on Jan. 24 at 5 p.m. To learn more about the WCSB, agendas and minutes go to www.walton.k12.fl.us/board/.