vehicles to Hyundai

By Regina Grayson

The Crenshaw County Board of Education approved getting a newer driver's education car at its regular Oct. 16 meeting after Schools Superintendent Kathi Wallace reported that the three cars given to the system by Hyundai last school year had to be returned.

&#8220Hyundai had given us the three cars last year, but they came with some strings attached,” Wallace said. &#8220For example, we had to take them to certain places for servicingŠour own maintenance people were not allowed to service them.”

Wallace said that several other school systems had returned their driver's education cars to Hyundai for similar reasons.

She also said that the school system gets its driver's ed. vehicles from the state surplus, so the state pays 80 percent of the cost while the school system only has to pay 20 percent.

The board approved the superintendent's recommendation for the purchase of the newer vehicle.

Wallace also reported that on Oct. 9, which was &#8220Parenting Day” for the school system, approximately 525 parents came to the schools to visit with teachers and administrators.

She said that was about 20 percent of the school system's parent population.

*In other business, one letter of resignation was accepted by the board, and the board approved the hiring of a new bus driver.

*Bids were being accepted for unleaded gas and diesel fuel for the year.

*A bid was awarded for copy paper for the system. Wallace said that the cost of copy paper had increased about $4 per box as compared to last year.

*A bid was awarded for the system to purchase 12 bus surveillance cameras. Ten cameras were purchased last year.

*Wallace and the board discussed doing sealed bids for the moving and/or removal of two Brantley properties that had been purchased by the school system. They agreed to advertise for the sealed bids and discuss the issue further at their Nov. 9 regular meeting.

Wallace reported on the system's student enrollment, with Brantley School reporting 602 students, Highland Home School with 869 students, and Luverne School with 1,049, for a total student population of 2,520. There are presently 299 employees on staff with the school system.

Wallace also talked about the importance of Amendment Two, which will be on the Nov. 7 ballot.

&#8220We are one of 30 systems in the state that does not collect 10 mills from taxes,” she said. &#8220We really need Amendment Two to pass.”

The next regular meeting of the Crenshaw County Board of Education will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 9 at the Board of Education.