School Board Meets - Thursday (4-7-11)

Thirty six members of the public looked on as the Louisville Municipal School District Board of Trustees met in a rare Thursday night meeting (4-7-11). In addition to normal business matters, the Board also heard from the local Boys & Girls Club, the CAPPS program and a representative of MSU. They also voted upon the appointment of a District 4 Trustee.

Business included ( but not limited to): Removal of some fixed assets from inventory. Approval of additional names to the substitute list. Approval of financial reports. Acceptance of eight resignations of personnel at the end of the school year. Dealt with Sixteenth section land issues including: Advertising for 4 hunting leases that will expire this year. Removed the $1 million insurance requirement from recreational and church leases on 16th section. Renewed 9 expired leases. Approved two emergency timber sales in the Rural Hill & Ellison Ridge areas.

Representatives of the local Boys & Girls Club including Mike Cournoyer, Charles Fairley, Janice Hopkins and John Fair appealed to the Board to provide any assistance available to find a location for the club and most immediately its summer program. The Club’s lease at its current location is ending and The B&G Club must vacate the premises by May 31. Due to growth of the Club and financial issues, a viable location has not been found. Club President Charle Fairley indicated that the Club has grown to serve 85 students on a daily basis. The CAPPS program (Changing Academic Performance and Promoting Success) indicated that the B&G was an integral partner along with the school and MSU and if the Club did not survive, some funding cuts for the CAPPS program and the loss of future grants such as DREAMS would be likely.

Dr Terry Jayroe from MSU also addressed the board concerning the possibility of LMSD’s involvement in a pilot program called PDS (Professional Development Site) The program would bring more interns/teaching candidates and faculty from MSU to work directly in the school system. Actual MSU classrooms could be conducted on the Louisville campus and even possible graduate level courses for area teachers. Jayroe indicated that the MSU’s PDS program would work closely with CAPPS and the Boys & Girls Club. The Board took all of these requests under advisement and review by Superintendent Wade and there was some indication that a special meeting might be required.

In other action, Board member Moody made a motion to appoint Cathy Edwards to fill the trustee vacancy for District 4 for the remainder of the year through February 2012. The motion received a second but failed with two votes against, insuring that the Board will continue to operate with only four members. The Board’s attorney recommended that the Board could appoint a member to fill the position until an election, however, the Trustees continue to be split 2-2 on possible appointees. Edwards was the only candidate to run in the previous election for the District 4 position but her petition was later found to be invalid due to some signature discrepancies. The Board later went into Executive Session.