Photo by Lexi Coon
Chief Schools Financial Officer Kari Austin provides the most recent financial statements to the Board of Education during the July 9 meeting.
The Board of Education and Mountain Brook Schools administration met for a brief meeting on July 9 to discuss policy updates, the latest financial statement and announcements, but not before asking the handful of Boy Scouts who were present to introduce themselves. The scouts, who were part of Troop 320, were in attendance to earn various badges.
Amanda Hood — who took over as Director of Student Services only about one week ago — spoke about Policy I-6, which deals with religious expression. She provided wanted to look at the policy since it has not been updated since 1991. The goal is to make it more fitting for current practices.
“A few details to this policy is it recognizes that religion may have place in instructional conversation within the context of courses and standards. It also honors the students right to observe their religion as an individual or a group while in school or school-related events,” Hood said. “And it also simply removes dated language that no longer really applies to our current day.”
Superintendent Dicky Barlow recommended the updates to the policy be tabled for one month to allow for community input, to which the board agreed.
Chief Schools Financial Officer Kari Austin provided the most recent financial statements to the board, as well. According to Austin, the school system has collected 88 percent of its revenue — “which is great,” Austin said — and has spent about 77 percent of its expenditures. Given that the school is 75 percent of the way through the fiscal year, she said this was fairly typical.
Finally, the board heard from Lisa Beckham, director of administrative services, regarding a school attendance zoning for a home in the Lockerbie subdivision. Mountain Brook City Council recently approved annexation of the property, located at 132 Queensbury Crescent, because it was contiguous to the city limits of Mountain Brook which run through Lockerbie Court.
“So once that happened, then we ask you to zone that into a particular school,” Beckham said. Other homes in the Lockerbie subdivision that are within Mountain Brook city limits are zoned for Mountain Brook Elementary, which Beckham suggested the board approve for the home on Queensbury Crescent for the sake of consistency. Board members voted to zone the home for MBE.
MBS will spend the final days of July welcoming its newest teachers, first with the New Teacher Orientation Week from July 23–27 and with a New Teacher Breakfast on July 24. Institute Day will take place on Aug. 9 at Mountain Brook High School, shortly followed by the first day of the 2018-2019 school year on Aug. 14.
The next BOE meeting will be on Aug. 13 at the PLC.
