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Stewart County school board approves resolutions, budget adjustments and routine items by voice vote
Summary
At its recent meeting the Stewart County Board of Education approved minutes and routine consent items, adopted federal budget amendments reallocating grant funds, and passed a resolution to accept one-time teacher bonuses under the Education Freedom Act; all votes were taken by voice and recorded as "aye."
The Stewart County Board of Education approved the minutes from its Jan. 9 meeting, a consent agenda of school fundraisers and overnight field trips, federal budget amendments to several grant accounts, and a resolution to participate in the Education Freedom Act one-time teacher bonus program, all by voice vote at its most recent meeting.
Board members first approved the Jan. 9 minutes after a motion and a second; the minutes required a small correction noted at the start of the meeting. The board then approved a consent agenda that included band booster fundraisers, a softball uniform sale to support field maintenance and requests for overnight field trips. The board approved a set of federal budget amendments that staff described as year‑end reallocations among Title I, Title II, IDEA preschool, a literacy grant and Perkins funds; staff said the Perkins adjustment moves $12,757 into vocational equipment so the subfund can be spent out for the fiscal year.
In a separate vote the board adopted a resolution to participate in the Education Freedom Act program that provides a state-funded one-time bonus of at least $2,000 for eligible certified teachers. The board discussed clarifications provided by staff during the meeting: the state funding, as described at the meeting, applies to certified teachers listed as employed for the current year; administrators and other non‑certified employees are not included under the way the program is written, and precise timing and distribution details have not yet been provided by the state. The motion to adopt the resolution was made by Mr. Landry and approved by voice vote.
Other procedural actions included a motion to suspend the rules to allow a school resource officer, Officer Morgan, to speak to the board on safety matters and a motion to adjourn, both approved by voice vote.
Votes at a glance: - Approve minutes (Jan. 9) — motion made; second; approved by voice vote (recorded as "aye"). - Approve consent agenda (band boosters, softball uniform sale, overnight field trips) — motion; second; approved by voice vote. - Approve federal budget amendments (Title I, Title II, IDEA preschool, literacy grant, Perkins reallocation of $12,757 to vocational equipment) — motion; second; approved by voice vote. - Suspend rules to allow Officer Morgan to speak — motion; second; approved by voice vote. - Adopt resolution supporting Education Freedom Act one-time teacher bonuses (minimum $2,000 for certified teachers employed this year) — motion by Mr. Landry; second not specified; approved by voice vote. - Adjourn — motion; second; approved by voice vote.
The board did not record roll-call tallies in the transcript excerpts provided; votes were taken by voice with those in favor recorded as "aye." Several agenda items were discussed before each vote; where the board or staff noted missing details (for example, state guidance on timing and the mechanics of distributing bonus funds), the minutes and staff reports indicated those details were not yet specified.
