When the Haywood County School Board met in regular session on Tuesday, December 10, Superintendent Teresa Russell celebrated several schools and students for their accomplishments. She congratulated students from all the schools who participated in the Christmas at College Hill event on December 9. She also commended East Side students for their new clubs and activities and for their Reading Buddies program. These students have been reading to students at Anderson. East Side students will also be visiting Sugar Creek and Crestview residents this week. Mrs. Russell reported that the HOSA organization at HHS held a successful “Fill the Bus” event recently to collect donations of food and money for the school’s Backpack program. And in the sports arena, she reported that the HMS basketball girls are undefeated and the HHS boys are undefeated.

Board members approved a request from the Superintendent to accept a Utrust Mini Grant for $4,000 to be used for technology in a school. They also supported a resolution written by the Tennessee School Board Association regarding statutory caps on school buses. Currently, school buses must be removed from their fleets upon 17 years of service or 200,000 miles, regardless of how mechanically sound they may be or the results of mandatory inspections performed by the Department of Safety. This resolution urges the General Assembly to eliminate or at the very least, increase the caps on school buses to enable districts to run them as long as they are safe and passing inspections conducted by the Department of Safety.

In other business, Superintendent Russell reported that the audit for the school activity accounts and cafeteria funds for the year ending 6-20-13 found no significant problems. Several minor findings had been addressed, according to CFO Vincent Harvell.

In the Director’s Report, Superintendent Russell went over the state’s report card for Haywood County Schools with board members and guests at the school board meeting. For a complete look at the report card, go to tn.gov/education and click on Report Card.

Mrs. Russell reminded everyone that the REACH Program graduation will be held at Sunny Hill