School board gets approval for literary loan requests

By JIM TALBERT\Staff
TAZEWELL – Good news ruled the day at the June 16 meeting of the Tazewell County School Board.
Board Clerk Jammie Lester said the county had received a letter from the Literary Loan Fund saying all five of the school system’s applications had been received. Lester said the letter gave the board permission to go ahead and bid the projects.
Lester said she would get in contact with Ron Tillet of Morgan Keegan, the county’s financial advisor and OWPR, architects on the project to get the bid process started. She said the next step with the literary loan process would be finding out where the projects ranked.
She said the rankings would determine when the money would be available from the literary fund. Lester said interim financing would be obtained until the literary funds were available.
[In other action the board:]
*Met in executive session to discuss personnel and students with no action taken.
*Voted to expel three students and to allow those who had been suspended and met the terms of their suspension to reenroll.
*Held special recognition for Va. Tech softball player and Tazewell native, Whitney Davis.
*Approved the low bid for a new special needs bus.
*Received an update on the deferred retirement account for school employees who took early retirement.
*Discussed goals with the division superintendent in preparation for her evaluation.
*Selected Steve Davis to serve as delegate and David Woodard as alternate to the Virginia School Board Association meeting.
*Approved the first reading of several policy changes proposed by the VSBA.
*Approved the continuation of a contract with the Richlands Lions Club to continue operating the concession stand at Richlands football games.
*Approved the application for Title I funds as presented by Donna Lawson.
*Approved the Career and Technology Education plan as presented by George Brown.
*Approved the Title II part D application as presented by Clara Corell.
*Approved the revised Family Life Education plan as presented by Toni Lawson.
*Heard from Donna Lawson that preliminary results of the SOL testing looked good for the county schools.
*Approved the plan to award the Stowers Scholarship for Pocahontas High to the highest ranking senior from that school attending either Tazewell or Graham for the next two years.
*Approved a plan to raise the cost of adult meals from $2.25 per day to $2.50 and waive the discount for advance payment. Division Superintendent Dr. Brenda Lawson said this would prevent raising the price of student meals.
*Approved the list of personnel changes as presented by the superintendent.
*Adjourned until July 14 at 5:30 p.m.