School board OKs plans for LED lights conversion

The Franklin County School District will soon see more of its buildings go to energy-efficient LED lighting — a move that will reduce monthly electricity costs — following action by the Board of Education on Tuesday, April 18.

Superintendent of Education Chris Kent said last month the panel authorized an agreement to upgrade outdoor lighting on the elementary schools campus, and last summer a lighting overhaul took place at the district’s sports and transportation facilities.

“Also part of that effort last year was doing half of the interior lighting at the middle school and at the career and technical center,” Kent said. “The reason that was done is because (Entergy) has a limit on how much it will spend on these kinds of improvements.

“The new agreement we are seeking approval on will complete the lights on the two campuses that were started last year. Our cost for the conversion is 20 percent while Entergy picks up 80 percent, so it is really a good deal for the school district.”

Kent said the total cost of the latest project will come in slightly more than $30,000 with the school system contributing roughly $6,200, which would likely come from the district’s general fund.

“The difference between the old lights and the new LED lights is noticeable and has made a dramatic impact where they have been changed out,” he continued.

“But this is more than just about aesthetics because these lights save on our long-term energy usage and that means we’re spending less on electricity every single month.”

Kent said he anticipates the work would be completed during the summer months.

The board voted 4-0 to approve the lighting conversion as District 4 representative Joyce Calcote was not present for the meeting.

The panel also heard Kent discuss a number of financial matters including seeking funding for fiscal year 2024 through the Mississippi Community Oriented Policing Services — MCOPS — grant program as well as seeking approval for federal funds to conduct the district’s summer feeding program during June.

By a 4-0 vote, the school board gave its blessing in pursuing those funding sources and authorized the expense of $1,500 in federal Title funds for an agreement with Bailey Education Services for curriculum consultation with Franklin County Middle School in advance of end-of-year state testing for students.
In other matters to come before the school board, the panel considered the following business last week:

• Over the course of an hour, listened to comprehensive student progress monitoring reports from the district’s four principals in advance of mandated state testing.

Following the presentation, Kent publicly praised each school’s leadership and instructors for taking the steps necessary to help students be better prepared for testing with an eye toward improving the district’s academic standing.

• Heard from FCSD Business Manager Tremel Young, who noted the district maintenance statement of fund balance for the period ending Friday, March 31 stood at $1,788,672.89.

She noted 75 percent of the current school year had been completed at the end of March with the district taking in 71 percent of its anticipated revenue while expending 63 percent of its planned spending.

Young also pointed out the district maintenance cash flow report as of the end of last month was calculated at $3,217,582.63.

“Most of that is owed out and by the end of the fiscal year on June 30, we’ll be back to around $1 million,” she said.

“That’s pretty much the way things work within our budget every year.”

In a related matter, Young reminded board members that a budget work session — to plan for revenue and expenses for fiscal year 2024 — would be held during the panel’s Tuesday, May 16 business meeting.

Michael Coleman, who serves as District 5 board member, asked Kent and Young to get the school system’s investment representative to meet with the panel in the near future.

“I’d like to see where we are and what our plans are for down the road,” Coleman said.

• Gave approval to the 2023-2024 draft of the Franklin County Career and Technical Center’s local plan, which must be considered on an annual basis.

• Discussed, at length, the donation of $16,034.97 from a booster club set up to support the Upper Elementary School.

Kent said the club’s leadership had expressed an interest in closing out that organization and giving what had been collected through community fund-raising over the years to the school system to support FCUE.

Board attorney Lane B. Reed — in discussing a legal perspective — said the donation would have to be made to the school district and not specifically to the upper elementary due to the operating structure of the local educational system.

Kent said the precedent had been set for the district to accept donations for specific campuses, and that while the school system would accept this gift as Reed directed he would work to follow through with the funds benefitting FCUE students.
• Franklin County Lower Elementary School Principal Page Goff told the board that pre-school registration for the 2023-2024 school year was held the Thursday prior to Easter and within five minutes the available slots were taken with a waiting list started by administrators.

“We were taking 40 students and families were lined down the sidewalk to get in,” Goff said.

• In personnel matters, the board approved the recommendation of re-employing two high school teachers — Kent King and Amanda Hill — along with hiring Brandy Smith to serve as Franklin County Middle School assistant principal.

Other hires approved during the meeting included Val Durrell as the Career and Technical Center secretary; Abigail Hodges as a 21st Century program teacher assistant; Betty Jackson as cafeteria manager; Velma Allen as an upper elementary teacher; and Cheryl Cothren as upper elementary secretary.
• Approved travel requests for the Franklin County High School Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps to attend drill camp in Kerriville, Texas, from Sunday, June 25 through Saturday, July 1 and for the Career and Technical Center’s Technology Student Association to take part in a national conference set for Tuesday, June 27 through Sunday, July 2 in Louisville, Ky.

• Authorized the FCHS cheerleaders to host the group’s annual “Little Girls Cheer Camp” in the campus gymnasium during the summer.

The next meeting for the Franklin County Board of Education will be held at 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 16 in the FCSD Central Office on First Street in Meadville. The session is open to the public.