The Lakeland School System board added a technology position and an on-call substitute nurse at the Sept. 7 special-called meeting, as well as conducting other business.
Superintendent Dr. Ted Horrell asked for funds to hire an additional full-time technology employee for the district. Currently, the district and the city of Lakeland share one tech employee, but with a growing school district that has burgeoning technology, the work is too much for a part-time person to handle networking, infrastructure, telephones and other issues.
“We continue to infuse our district with a tremendous amount of additional technology, most notably the 700+ Chromebooks that are at the middle school, but also all the technology that we have at the elementary school,” Horrell said. “… I think, as you know, that we don’t make these recommendations until we know that they are needed.”
The board approved the requested budget amendment, modifying the medical insurance line item and regular instruction by $67,890 to cover the new position’s salary and benefits. (This reflects an adjusting of where currently budgeted funds will be spent, not an increase in the total budget.)
In other business, the board:
- Added the position of a substitute school nurse to the salary schedule. Horrell said the school health coordinator recommended seeking out a registered nurse to serve as a backup for the district if the current nurse and backup are not available. The board approved adding a position for an on-call substitute school nurse at a rate of about $24 per hour.
- Approved the current list of school support organizations who have already completed the required annual cooperative agreements: The Lakeland Education Foundation, Volleyball Boosters, Touchdown Club, Lakeland Prep PTO (parent-teacher organization) and Lakeland Elementary School PTA (parent-teacher association).
- Adjusted the board meeting schedule to accommodate the superintendent’s attendance at a conference.
- Approved two instructional facilitators and board member Laura Harrison as the 2017-18 Policy Committee members.
- Amended the FY2017-18 fee schedule to include a $60 cross-country fee.
See details about each agenda item online at lakelandk12.org/about/board/agendasandminutes.
