Webster School budget hearing upcoming

A public hearing for the Webster County School District's next budget will be later this month.

The 2009-10 budget public hearing will be June 23 at 7 p.m. in the central office boardroom and the budget adoption meeting will be June 30.

The School Board set the budget dates during its May 12 meeting. Those minutes state that attorney George Mitchell addressed the members concerning a student discipline matter, which the board voted to go into executive session to discuss.

President Keith Hudspeth announced after the board came out of closed session that it had voted to allow board attorney Hugh Gibson ample time to review the discipline matter further and to have a special meeting May 15 to further discuss the matter, records show.

The board also voted to go into executive session at the latter meeting to discuss student discipline policy and procedures with Gibson. After coming out of the closed session, according to the minutes, Hudspeth announced that Charles Bailey (District 2) made a motion for the board to overturn the decision of the discipline committee in the matter in question. His motion died for lack of a second.

As previously reported, the board on May 12 approved Superintendent of Education Jimmy Pittman's recommendation to approve Chad White as Eupora High School principal beginning July 1. White has been serving as principal of DeSoto Central Middle School in Southaven and will replace James Mason, who is transferring to the position of Alternative School director.

In other business, according to the minutes, the School Board approved or accepted:

¥ salaries for administrators and supervisors, the superintendent and classified staff, pro-rated salaries, pay scales and MAEP scale for 2009-10.

¥ the hiring of Cynthia Hillhouse as guidance counselor at East Webster High School.

¥ the recommendation of Maintenance Director Kim Jones, as presented by Pittman, to hire Mike Medders as a maintenance worker beginning May 26. Bailey and Etty P. Brown (District 3) voted nay, records show.

¥ the "Professional Personnel - Active Parent Requirement" policy.

¥ the federal programs statement of assurances for 2009-10.

¥ the hiring of two summer workers at East Webster Elementary School.

¥ a donation from the Lady Eagle softball booster club to the EHS softball team.

¥ the resignations of Pauline Neal, EWES assistant teacher; and EWES teacher Margaret Womack.

¥ the cafeteria student lunch price at $2, the adult lunch price at $3 and the adult breakfast price at $1.75.

¥ certified employees Angela Gray, Pattie Swindle, Richard Pittman, Kevin Powell, Shawna Williams and Teresa Whitaker for the next school year.

¥ resolutions congratulating the EWHS fastpitch softball,, mixed-doubles tennis and girls doubles tennis teams for winning their respective state 1A championships this spring.

The School Board will have only one meeting next month, on July 14.