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Dr. Scales Says School Board Will Discuss Vacation Pay

New Superintendent Gives Mid-Term Report

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

County School Supt. Dr. Jim Scales said the County School Board will discuss the issue of accumulated vacation pay at an upcoming meeting.

He said the board chairman (Joe Conner) is putting it on the agenda.

Dr. Scales said, while giving a Mid-Term Report at the Convention Center on Tuesday night, "We will take a look at that. We need to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars."

He said the allocation of the funds "is within the current policies."

County school officials said they pay out some $1 million per year in accumulated vacation pay to retirees. Some administrators have built up as much as $114,000.

The accumulated pay is available mainly to 12-month employees, and not regular classroom teachers.

The total due is currently at $8.5 million. Officials said they could not cover the cost if there was a mass retirement.

Dr. Scales set out goals in moving the county schools "from good to great to exceptional" in the meeting attended by county school administrators, teachers and citizens. Several County Commission members were on hand along with Sen. Bo Watson.

A video was shown on "Investing in our Future."

Dr. Scales acknowledged that some of the items will carry a pricetag - including bringing up school facilities to "state of the art."

Goals including raising ACT scores to a 22 average. Dr. Scales said 286 county school students this year have scored 25 or higher on the ACT, and 49 have scored 30 or higher.

Other aims include reducing the dropout rate to 8.5 percent and increasing the graduation rate to 85 percent.

The plan is to form a new facilities committee that will come up with a 10-year plan.


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