Friday's Internet Edition, July 04, 2008.

Several interpreters had refused to sign contracts for the upcoming school year, citing the need for employee benefits including health insurance.

Some of the interpreters, and some hearing impaired students, turned out at Tuesday night’s board meeting to plead their case.

“This isn’t a money grab,” interpreter Andrew Weygand said. “We aren’t trying to get rich off Roane County schools.”

He said Roane County had a reputation for providing high quality interpreters for students, and some interpreters from outside the county and even other states had come here to work. To keep these staff members, he said they should be treated as employees.

According to information provided at the meeting, the school board paid 15 interpreters to work in the just ended school year, at a cost of nearly $146,000. Ten of those earned more than $12,000, including the lead interpreter, Shiloh Thompson, who earned over $38,000. Two other interpreters earned more than $21,000.

The county also paid more than $12,500 for interpreters to assist students participating in sports programs.

On Tuesday, the board approved making the sign interpreters regular employees, with their salaries tied to the state salary scale for service personnel. Supt. Steve Goffreda said the positions would be posted in the near future.

One of the interpreters, April Hottle, and her husband, deaf education teacher Scott Hottle, also asked the board to consider offering American Sign Language as an elective course for students. She said students who learn ASL would be able to get good jobs as well as college credit.

Board member David McCutcheon, who also oversees the PATCH 21st Century after-school program, said that when PATCH offers sign language classes at any of the schools the classes are always full.

The board agreed to consider the suggestion.

Other board members attending were Russell Moore, Joe Painter, Randy Whited and Tom Young.

It was the last meeting for McCutcheon, who did not run for re-election. He will be replaced by Paul Cummings on July 1.

During a three-hour meeting the board recognized retiring staff (see separate story) and the county’s teachers of the year, Sue Knotts, Rebecca Boggs and Carol Williams, and top service employee, bus operator Mike Looney.

After a lengthy debate, the board approved the start-up of a golf program at Spencer Middle School, but delayed any action on a related request to start baseball and softball programs at the school.

The board received a memo from SMS principal Kevin Campbell, who said he could not recommend the additional sports until the athletic department and boosters group could submit a detailed budget and a plan to pay for the new sports.

Athletic director Phyllis Nutter and boosters’ president Lisa Simmons attended the meeting and said the boosters would pay for all the costs, including the coaching salary for the golf program. They did ask that the board pay the salaries of the baseball and softball coaches.

The board approved the golf program slated to start in the fall, since it was at no cost to the board. A decision on baseball and softball, which do not begin until spring, was delayed until the board sees how much budget surplus there will be in August.

Personnel items approved were:

• Resignations: Emma Greenleaf, Title I aide, Spencer Elementary, for retirement effective Sept. 1; Wanda Miller, cafeteria manager, Spencer Elementary, for retirement June 30, speech assistant LeeAnn Strode and substitute teacher Tara Parsons.

• Transfers: Joanna McKown, from sixth-eighth-grade science teacher at Walton Elementary to biology and chemistry teacher at Roane County High School and custodians Arthur Hanssen from Walton to RCHS with 61 days extended employment and Cindy Knopp, from RCHS to Walton with 20 days extended employment.

• Removed from Reduction in Force list and assigned: Janet Rucker, custodian at Walton with 20 days extended employment.

• Employment: bus operator John Fore

• Extra-curricular assignments: Bruce Boggs, athletic trainer, RCHS and asst. wrestling coach, SMS; David Daniels, asst. girls basketball coach and asst. track coach, Stacey Farmer, cheerleading coach, Bill Heis, asst. boys basketball coach and Kevin Nutter, head wrestling coach, all at SMS; yearbook sponsors Brenda Gibson, at Walton and Rhonda Haines at Reedy; Travis Reynolds, asst. boys basketball coach at Geary; Colleen Skiles, asst. girls track coach and Danielle Williams, fall an spring junior varsity cheerleading coach, all at RCHS and Debra Stalnaker, student assistance program coordinator, Reedy.

Also approved were:

• A bid from Appalachian Signals & Products to install new security locks on doors at each school at a cost of $67,994.60. Each school will receive 2-3 new doors that will operate on an electronic key system.

• A bid from Nationwide Insurance to provide property insurance for all board-owned buildings and contents at an annual cost of $55,988.

• The purchase of three new school buses at a total cost of $234,450.

• A field trip for RCHS broadcasting students to New York City July 16-20.

• Contract for Roger Miller, retiring as director of student services and attendance, to continue as part-time attendance director at a cost of $34,609 for 110 days.

• The annual excess salary list for extra-curricular activities with increases for some positions.

The board also met in executive sessions with a member of the public regarding an unspecified personnel issue, and with board attorney Tom Whittier regarding proceedings to establish a value for property condemned next to Geary Elementary/Middle School where an expansion is planned.

The board also heard from parent Tammy Roberts, who said she felt discipline administered to several junior and senior students at RCHS for an end of year school prank involving messages written in chalk and signs posted in the school was not handled properly. Roberts said she did not mind her daughter being disciplined, but she felt school administrators should have contacted her.

The next board meeting was set for 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 1 at RCHS.