By Eddy Gifford

The Dade County Board of Education held its regular monthly work session and special called meeting Monday evening.

The first order of business was to decide how a replacement for Mutt Massengale, who resigned his board seat last month, would be selected.

The Board agreed to accept applications to fill the vacant seat. All interested applicants need to go to the Board of Education, 52 Tradition Lane, to complete the application.

The Board will be taking applications March 12-–26. Applications will be completed at the Board office and given to Ms. Cynthia Daniels. Applicants must be 21 years of age and live in the district (North Dade) for the past 12 months.

The Board will set up interviews after March 26 and will appoint someone at the April BOE meeting.

This is the same procedure used when David Swader resigned a couple of years ago and David Powell was appointed as his replacement.

Ken Dress with Associated Architectural Services addressed the Board on upcoming projects and estimated cost.

Those projects include redoing the tennis courts, track and football press box at the high school. Also work on the video broadcast room at the high school.

Also included in the summer projects will be paving at Dade Elementary and work on the gym. Dade Middle School’s gym will also have repair work.

Estimated cost for the projects, to be paid for with SPLOST money are: tennis courts, $180,082; press box and track, $539,675; B=Video Broadcast, $142,831; Dade Elementary parking, $99,844; Dade Elementary gym, $88,413; and Dade Middle gym, $223,232.

These are all estimated cost and could be more or less Cress explained. One example was the track at the high school. Current estimates are for completely redoing the track but other options are still being considered that could cut the total cost.

The current estimates for summer constructions include a price of $1,247,078.

Superintendent Shawn Tobin said that roughly $200,000 in cost for a new high school network and video surveillance cameras would bring the total cost to $1,447,078.

It is anticipated that incoming SPLOST money between now and when the projects start should be enough to leave over $1,000,000 in the SPLOST account for emergencies. That has been the goal of the Board in the past.

Each school principal reported on activates going at their schools and reported on attendance for the past 20 days of school. Dade High average daily attendance was 94.25 percent; Dade Middle 92.6 percent; Dade Elementary 94.1 percent; and Davis 91.7 percent.

Superintendent Tobin also reported that through the first 99 days of school substitutes for certified personnel had cost the system $29,650 for 775.5 days. He also reported that non-certified substitutes had cost $3,998.50 for 398 days. Many times substitutes are not needed for non-certified personnel.

The total cost for substitutes for sickness and personal leave so far this year is $33,648.50.

At next week’s regular meeting the Board will consider fuel bids for 7,200 gallons of diesel and class size waiver for 2013-14.

The class size waiver will be the same as this past year, up to 10 additional students per class. Superintendent Tobin reported that so far not more than five students had been added to any class and they hoped that would be true for the coming year as well.

Superintendent Tobin reported that Dade County Schools had been awarded a certificate for all highly qualified requirements met for teachers and paraprofessionals (2011-2012) by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission.

After executive session Superintendent Tobin recommended and the Board approved the following personnel:

Resignations: Brad Weir as baseball coach; Byron Ballard, graduation coach effective June 30 and Mary Anne Jones, paraprofessional.

The following hires were also approved; Jamey McMahan, head baseball coach; Angela Cantrell, substitute bus driver. The return to employment for Tamara Smith, interrupter/paraprofessional was approved as well as Jill Mavity, part-time program assistant at the Extension Office.