Clean up and asbestos abatement is underway on the three vacant buildings on West Broad Street, Jennifer Scott, who is serving as interim superintendent, told the board Thursday.
“We’re excited to really get traction going and to really do what is needed to rehab that place so that it truly is a part of our CCSD family,” Scott said.
The board spent approximately 1 hour and 54 minutes in the regular session. Board members Mary Bagby, Linda Davis, Patricia Yager, Mumbi Anderson and LaKeisha Gantt were present; Heidi Hensley, Tim Denson, Nicole Hull and Mark Evans were absent.
Here are three takeaways from the board meeting at Vernon Payne Meeting Hall.
1. New Developments at West Broad Campus
The district also plans to begin the cutback of trees causing roof damage.
Scott said the district hopes a full assessment of the property can be released to the public by January. Public information meetings will be held starting at 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Dec. 2. They will be held in person at Vernon Payne Meeting Hall and have both live-streaming and a recording available.
The district is working toward releasing a feedback survey and updating its website with current information.
Alvin Sheats, a resident and president of the Athens NAACP, said during the public comment session that he “implored” the board to reestablish West Broad Street School as an early learning center.
“If we truly believe that children are our future, let’s prepare them properly,” Sheats said.
2. Telephone Contract Decision Tabled
The board voted unanimously to table a proposal to renew its telephone system with Cisco. The board asked district officials how long it has worked with this provider and the answer was about 20 years.
The board needed to approve the contract for $158,371.20 because the price has increased over the previously approved budgeted amount, according to board documents, “due to product development, feature enhancements and inflation.”
Linda Davis, District 3’s representative, said the goal is to “spread the wealth and not create generational wealth in a single contract.”
“I’m not picking on technology, and I’m not picking on Cisco,” Davis said. “I’m simply saying if we are going to be more equitable, then we have to do something different in terms of how we allocate these resources.”
3. Rigor, Parks, Bullying Focus of Public Comment
CORRECTION: Catherine Mills’ workplace was incorrectly identified in a previous version of this story. It is correct below.
Seven residents spoke during public comment. Discussion topics included transforming Wesley Whitehead Park into a police and fire station, bullying and its effects on student mental health, concerns about schools’ reliance on technology, and a running trail installation at Cedar Shoals High School.
Catherine Mills, an English teacher at Clarke Central High School, gave a passionate statement about a lack of curriculum complexity.
“We made English a test prep class,” Mills said. “Shame on our district for pursuing easy data at the expense of educating our children.”
The next meeting is Dec. 11.
Laila Carter is a journalism major in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia.
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