Griffin‑Spalding board approves $2,000 staff supplement, ThinkPad purchases and $5.34M school renovation

The Griffin‑Spalding County Board of Education on March 17 voted to distribute a state $2,000 supplemental payment to full‑time, benefit‑eligible employees, approved large ThinkPad device and warranty purchases for staff and teachers, and awarded a not‑to‑exceed $5,341,000 contract for renovations at Jordan Hill Elementary.

Board Chair Sue McDonald convened the meeting and led the board through a series of motions that included suspending rules to add the supplement to the agenda so the funds could be distributed before the state’s March 26 deadline. "We did not learn of these monies until late last week... the state really has wished that these monies are distributed before March 26," McDonald said when explaining the timetable. The board approved adding the item and later approved the supplement payment on a voice/hand‑raise vote.

Byron Jones, presenting the proposal, said the district expects about $2,000,000 from the Georgia Department of Education and an additional allocation from DECAL; he recommended covering eligible employees who were…