The importance of the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) to Fannin County schools was evident Thursday evening, December 10, when school board members held their last regular meeting of 2020.
A record SPLOST collection and several updates that included SPLOST’s involvement highlighted the meeting.
At the beginning of the session, Appalachian Superior Court Judge John Worcester administered the oath of office to the three re-elected school board members.
Voters returned Terry Bramlett, Chad Galloway and Lewis DeWeese to their posts during the 2020 election cycle. Each will serve four more years.
Worcester praised the work of the school board, and cited the school system for its reputation for “strong leadership (and a) strong core of teachers.”
Following the brief ceremony, West Fannin Elementary Principal Alison Danner was first to praise the SPLOST with a “shout out (for) all the fantastic things it does in our community.” She cited several ways the tax has benefited West Fannin as she went through her update for the board.
The board also heard Finance Director Susan Wynn report a record SPLOST receipt of $715,042.07 in October, representing money collected the previous month.
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Michael Gwatney reminded board members the “district is debt free...we’re pay as you go on projects.” Bramlett echoed that Fannin schools operated with no bonded indebtedness.
Wynn said that because of the amount the schools received from SPLOST, a performance audit was completed and found the district is in compliance with all laws and regulations, and meets the guidelines approved by the voters as well as industry best practice.
Assistant Superintendent for Facilities and Operations Darren Danner presented the five-year facilities plan to the board.
He also said the bid package for the staff development center should be ready to go out next week with proposals expected by January 11. Based on that timetable, the construction manager has promised a maximum price for the work by January 21. The final decision whether or not to move forward with the project rests with the board.
Danner suggested a special called meeting might be in order and, if the board does approve, work could begin as early as February.
“We do everything we can to keep students safe,” Assistant Superintendent for Transportation Denver Foster said reporting school buses had recently passed a state inspection. He said that during that inspection only one bus was placed out of service, but was repaired and ready to go while the inspector was still on the premises.
The board also learned it has been named an Exemplary Board for 2020, an honor just announced December 7. In an effort to maintain this status as in years past, which requires a certain amount of hours and time in the schools, members’ next retreat was scheduled for an all-day session December 15.