Russell County School Board approves routine personnel actions, bills and expansion of Bible release time to fourth grade at Honaker Elementary

The Russell County School Board certified its executive session and approved routine agenda items on motions that passed without recorded opposition, and it approved a request to expand a Bible release time program to fourth grade at Honaker Elementary.

Board Chair (name not specified) opened the business portion of the meeting by certifying that only matters listed in the motion to enter executive session were discussed. The board then approved the meeting agenda, minutes from July 15, payment of bills, listed resignations and retirements, new hires and transfers, and tenure for two employees. The board approved the request from Kelly Ferguson, identified in the meeting as a representative of the Elgin Children’s Foundation, to expand the foundation’s Bible release time program to fourth grade at Honaker Elementary; the motion was moved by Mr. Eaton and seconded by another board member and carried on an “Aye” vote.

The board approved payment of bills and received a brief finance update. The sales tax report stated July sales tax at $399,002.23; average daily membership (ADM) was discussed in the meeting but the transcript text was not fully clear on the ADM figure. A board member raised concerns about high electric bills from AEP, describing the amounts on recent expenditure reports as “mind blowing.”

All routine personnel actions — resignations/retirements, approval of new hires and transfers, and two tenure approvals — were moved, seconded and approved by voice vote with all board members responding “Aye.” No roll-call vote with individual member votes was recorded in the transcript.

Votes at a glance - Certification of executive session: motion passed (voice vote: yes). Motion to certify stated the meeting discussed only items lawfully exempted from open-meeting requirements. - Approve agenda: passed (voice vote: yes). - Approve minutes (July 15): passed (voice vote: yes). - Pay bills: passed (voice vote: yes). - Approve resignations and retirements (2 listed): passed (voice vote: yes). - Approve new hires and transfers (short list provided): passed (voice vote: yes). - Approve tenure for two employees: passed (voice vote: yes). - Approve expansion of Bible release time program to fourth grade at Honaker Elementary (request from Kelly Ferguson, Elgin Children’s Foundation): motion moved by Mr. Eaton, seconded, passed (voice vote: yes).

The board set its next meeting date for Sept. 2. No motions failed or were tabled during the reported portion of the meeting.