Liberty County School System employees now have one more reason to look forward to the holidays.
At its monthly work session Tuesday morning, the Liberty County Board of Education approved a “one-time salary adjustment” — worth the equivalent of three furlough days — to be paid to all eligible employees in December.
LCSS Chief Financial Officer Roger Reese presented the adjustment to the board on behalf of Superintendent Dr. Valya Lee, stating that she’d recommended it as a way to “reward our valuable resources and say ‘thank you for all you do.’”
Reese said that this payment is similar to one the school system made last year.
Infectious-disease control
Board members also heard from Chief Academic Officer Mary Alexander regarding the school system’s monitoring of two viruses: enterovirus D68 and Ebola.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, enteroviruses affect millions of children in the United States each year. The most common enterovirus causing respiratory illnesses this year is enterovirus-D68.
Alexander said that some local children have been hospitalized with EV-D68 already this year. She said it generally comes on quickly with little warning, often inducing fevers of up to 103 degrees or greater.
Alexander said that a letter with information regarding EV-D68 had been sent to all parents.
She also said that all district nurses have been briefed on warning signs of Ebola and are keeping a watchful eye on all students entering the clinic.
“We’re just trying to stay on top of it,” Alexander said.
Charter-system application
The board also took two more steps toward becoming a charter-school system. Board members unanimously approved a resolution to apply for charter-system status before unanimously approving the actual application.
The charter application must be submitted to the Georgia Department of Education by Nov. 1. LCSS will be notified of the application’s status by next May and, if approved, officially will begin the charter in July.
If approved, the charter will be a five-year contract and will be reviewed annually.
College Credit Now Day
Alexander also informed the board of the upcoming “College Credit Now Day,” to be held from 10 a.m.-noon Saturday, Nov. 15, at the board of education building.
“Both of our high schools do a very good job of advertising the dual enrollment … but we’re going to take it up a little notch,” she said.
Alexander said that administrators, financial officers and registrars from Savannah Tech, Armstrong State and Georgia Southern universities, along with Liberty County High School and Bradwell Institute counselors, will be on site to help LCSS students through the dual-enrollment registration process.
“One of the things that we’re noticing is, a lot of times people need their hands held getting through that college paperwork and enrollment, so we’re going to have people on staff to do that,” Alexander said.
Transportation to and from the event will be available on request. Those interested should call Alexander at 876-4789.