FCSD set to seek new CTE director

The Franklin County School District will soon seek to fill a key administrative vacancy following the retirement announcement of current Career and Technical Center Director Terry Moffett.

Superintendent of Education Chris Kent announced Moffett’s planned departure effective on Friday, June 30 during the Franklin County Board of Education meeting held on Tuesday, Jan. 17 in Meadville.

“We will begin advertising for this position very soon and will hopefully fill this spot in the very near future,” Kent said.

The board voted unanimously to accept Moffett’s retirement notice and praised his efforts in leading the campus.

Franklin County’s career and technical education program — often referred to as CTE — seeks to provide students within the local school system the academic skills and training necessary to succeed in future careers.

Programs offered through the varied FCCTC curriculum include carpentry and construction, agriculture and natural resources, health sciences, welding, robotics and engineering, family and consumer sciences and a teacher academy.

In other action to come before the school board during its monthly business meeting, these action items were addressed:

• FCSD Business Manager Tremel Young told the panel its district maintenance fund balance as of Dec. 31, 2022, stood at $270,133.07 with 50 percent of the current academic year completed.

“We have collected 33 percent of our anticipated revenue for the budget year and we have expended 41 percent of our expenses thus far,” Young said.

Additionally, the district maintenance cash balance report for the end of December stood at $1,693,911.36.

Young went on to note the district will soon begin seeing an influx of revenues as Franklin County residents paid their ad valorem taxes prior to the end-of-January deadline.

• Adopted a change order related to the Franklin County Lower Elementary improvement project that involved the replacement of asbestos flooring materials along with the construction of a new office and front entrance using federal coronavirus mitigation and district funds.

Kent said the order reflected a reduction in the cost of the project to the tune of $7,972.54 — due to a decrease in the contingency allowances for the construction.

The original contract cost stood at $503,200, but came in at $495,227.46, according to the superintendent.

• Authorized the advertisement for an oil and gas lease involving 20 acres in Section 33, Township 5 North, Range 1 East with submitted bids to be opened in late February.

Board attorney Lane B. Reed told the panel Kaiser Operating LLC previously had a minerals lease on the property, and that agreement had officially expired.

Reed indicated, based on state statutes governing school district land usage, the district would need to seek bids should entities be interested in leasing the site.

• Entered a contractual agreement with the Dominate the Drillpad organization on behalf of the Franklin County High School Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps program.

FC’s JROTC unit was selected as co-state drill team champions with Petal High School for 2022 and will have the opportunity to represent the Magnolia State in national competition to be held in May.

Dominate the Drillpad, based out of Gainesville, Ga., works with JROTC instructors who coach military-style drill teams to promote knowledge, techniques and procedures.

The $1,667.41 contract will be paid for through JROTC funds.

• Approved the disposal of numerous fixed assets — ranging from old time clocks to internet routers — that are no longer used by the school district.

• Hired Ally Jordan to work as a full-time bus monitor; Dana Smith and Jarvis Hunt to serve as substitute bus drivers; L.J. White as a substitute bus driver and bus mechanic; and Juliette Green as a food service substitute.

• Allowed the transfer of two students into the Franklin County School District per requests filed by families seeking to have their children enrolled in local schools.

• The board went into executive session to discuss legal matters.