School Board Hears Good Financial Report

LINCOLN -- Though more students are expected to enroll, 1,165 students attended school on the first day in the Lincoln School District, according to Superintendent Mary Ann Spears.

"We had a good day," Spears told the Lincoln School Board on Aug. 18. "I'm sure we'll still have students show up so that number will probably change."

The principals then gave the board an account of the first day at each school.

Melody Sebastian, who is starting her first year as principal of Lincoln Elementary said, "Kids were safe and they got to where they needed to go, which was my goal."

Sebastian said she was amazed at how smooth everything went the first day of school. She complimented the staff for knowing what they needed to do and doing a good job.

"It was amazing," Sebastian said.

Courtney Jones, high school principal, and Michele Price, middle school principal, both reported a good first day of school.

Price told board members not only was the first day of school a good one but students ate a free breakfast, which was funded by a grant provided by No Kid Hungry campaign.

Spears explained the free breakfast was only for the middle school this year.

"We have had parents asking why one school and not another, but that's the way the grant was rolled out," Spears said. "It is just for the 2014-2015 school year and only for our middle school, grades 4 - 7, for all the kids there to eat a free breakfast. We are very excited about this opportunity."

Spears welcomed Lincoln Police officer Brian Key as the new school resource officer.

Board members also welcomed Key who attended the board meeting. He, too, said the first day of school went smoothly.

Dax Moreton, board secretary, asked Spears about an annual financial report.

"We're in the process of closing things out," Spears said. "We are transferring $940,000 to the building fund and we're in the process of working on next year's budget. We ended the [fiscal] year pretty well."

Spears said $65,000 had already been moved to the building fund from the transportation account.

"Where are we compared to last year?" Moreton asked.

"We're about $1.2 million ahead of where we were last year," Spears said.

On hearing the figures, Moreton said, "Mrs. Spears, we want to thank you for working diligently so that we stayed out of fiscal distress."

The Lincoln School District barely diverted a shortfall in August 2013 due to a large debt-service payment due in July. A federal reimbursement check came in just in time for the district to pay teachers their salaries just before the 2013-14 school year began.

Susan Rhodes, a Lincoln High School graduate and student at Cornell University, showed the board a landscape design for the high school.

"I wanted to make it enjoyable for everyone with mostly native plants and plants that flower throughout the year,"

Jones said the high school planned to apply for a grant so the landscape design could be implemented.

Rhodes is in her junior year at Cornell.

The board approved five transfers out of the Lincoln district and one student coming into the district.

After a brief executive session, the board approved the resignations of Martie Cousar, who worked at the Wellness Center and Quinton R. Neale, bus driver.

Members approved the hiring of Kimball Durham as high school science teacher, Emily James as seventh-grade literacy teacher, Sarah Phillips as middle school nurse, Tracy Clinkscales and Jerrie Daughtery as bus drivers.

Community on 08/27/2014