Published: May 12, 2009 11:10 am      

GISD board to canvass votes this morning

Editor’s Note: Part I of two parts

During the Gainesville Independent School District Board of Trustees meeting Monday, May 11, Lisa Bellows and Zach Nichols said good-bye to the school board. Mike Schmitz won Place 4 on the board over incumbent Bellows and Zach Nichols elected not to run for another term on the board.

The board took action to approve the date to canvass the school board election votes. The votes will be canvassed Tuesday, May 12 at 8 a.m. by two officers of the board.

Bellows called for an early board meeting so the board could reorganize with new board members. The meeting date is Friday, May 22. Bellows said that there are activities that need to be addressed before the next regular board meeting, such as graduation, and wanted the board to meet to reorganize as soon as possible.

During the meeting, GISD Superintendent Bill Gravitt again recommended the board select Linebarger, Goggan, Blair and Sampson, LLP for the tax attorney contract. All board members voted to approve the recommendation, except Lisa Bellows, who abstained from the vote. The contract will begin after the current tax attorney contract is up in July 2009.

Board members discussed paying off maintenance tax notes and capital improvements for the district, but tabled further discussion and action until the next board meeting when the two new board members, Schmitz and David Moore will be on board.

The board approved the bid from First State Bank for the bank depository agreement.

After meeting in executive session, the board took the following action. The board voted unanimously to hire three teachers, Terri Ogden-Oyler as an inclusion/special education teacher at Gainesville High School, Kevin Outlaw as an alternative education program teacher at the AEP campus, Rebecca Pepper as a diagnostician subject to campus assignment. Mari Copeland was rehired as a BEST unit teacher for the Junior High School.

The board approved all consent items without discussion, including the minutes of the April board meeting, monthly bill list, cash flow statement, delinquent tax collection report, investment management report and the financial statement.

All board members attended the meeting.