During the Tuesday, July 10 meeting, the Louisville Municipal School District Board of Trustees reviewed and approved a number of changes to policies and the Student and Personnel Handbooks for the 20118-2019 school year.
Discussion included possible changes to the cell phone policy, bullying policy, attendance policy, discipline policy, grading policy, graduation policy.
Concerning the drug testing policy, Superintendent Randy Grierson stated that the policy needs to be effective and a deterrent, and currently it is neither.
Grierson proposed the possibility of more frequent drug tests for students participating in sports and other extra-curricular activities. He also stated that he did not feel that a failed drug test should take students away from their coaches, as they can sometimes have the most positive influence on young people.
Grierson also proposed that any disciplinary action for failed tests should begin at the time of the failure, not at the beginning of the sports season in which the athlete is participating.
The changes were accepted with a 4-1, with Brenda Johnson voting against.
The Board heard from Brady Dabbs, Area Forester with the Mississippi forestry Commission who presented a yearly plan of work for the district.
Concerning Sixteenth Section land, the Board voted 5-0 to cancel an expired ? acre residential lease on Jimmy and Bessie Wells and approve a new residential lease for them on the same area on 16-14-12 (Noxapater).
In other action, the Board:
• Voted 5-0 to approve the consent agenda, which included:
• Approval of Policies and Procedures for school food service for the 2018-2019 school year.
• Approval of a donation of a 55” Toshiba TV to Eiland Middle School valued at $480.
• Approval of substitute teach, custodian, bus driver and cafeteria lists for the 2018-2019 school year.
• Approval of staff recommendations for the 2018-2019 school year.
• Voted 5-0 for approval of Professional Development Plan for the 2018-2019 school year.
• Voted 5-0 for approval of Thomas Kelly to be Camps Enforcement Officer (220 days, $37K).
• Voted 5-0 for approval of Compliance Testing Services, LLC to drug test students in extracurricular activities for the district during the 2018-2019 school year.
• Voted 5-0 for approval to put the agenda on the district website.
The next regularly scheduled board meeting will be Thursday, August 9, at 5:30 p.m.
