Winston BOE sworn in for new term

DOUBLE SPRINGS -Winston County Schools Superintendent Greg Pendley and members of the board of education were administered the oath of office to begin a new term at the board’s regular meeting Tuesday, Jan. 12.
Administering the oath was Winston County Probate Judge Sheila Moore, who addressed Pendley as well as board members President Joey Boteler, Mark Finley, Allin Bailey, Randy Lee and Lamar Frith.
After the administration of oaths,  board members began their regular session by voting to keep the same board officers as the previous year.
The board by law had to vote to keep the same officers, by motion and second, including  Boteler as president and Allin Bailey as vice president.
 All board members voted in favor of Boteler, with Boteler abstaining;  all board members voted in favor of Bailey, with Bailey abstaining.
The board approved an extension of the district policy regarding COVID-19, with the board extending the 10 day quarantine time to personnel due  to federal guidelines  that ended Jan. 1, Pendley noted.
Basically, if anyone had leave left at the end of December (when the Cares Act funding expired)  then can extend those 10 days of absences related to COVID-19 through March, board members discussed.
“They are given 80 hours or 10 days of COVID-19 absences, in case they have to quarantine or had (COVID-19), so they don’t miss,” noted Chief School Financial Officer Andy McCay.
If personnel have to be off for an extended period, they would have to take a catastrophic leave, Pendley explained.
Concerning personnel issues, catastrophic leave was approved for Dana Baker at Winston County High School and Brittany Williams Meek School effective Jan. 1.
A leave of absence was approved for Double Springs bus driver Sheila Ward  effective Jan. 1.
Resignation of Mike Ragsdale as Meek head varsity softball coach was also approved.
The following coaching assignments were approved: Callie Estill  as head varsity softball; Britney Williams as head junior high softball, both at Meek.