The Cairo Board of Education held its rescheduled regular meeting on Monday, June 23, at 6 p.m.

The agenda is below, followed by the "minutes"...

All members present except Arnold Burris.

Examples of Excellence - CE Principal Rose Gayle Pickett gave a lengthy presentation on "old business"...things that the BOE had requested she look into. CJSHS Principal Zena Madison presented a handout and made related comments. The two reports consumed approximately 40 minutes on the clock...an omen for the remainder of the meeting.

Public/Private Hearings or Petitions:

• De De O'Shea, decked out in a snazzy "Nigel" t-shirt, gave an update about the on-going 2014 National Junior Beta Club Convention. (Superintendent Andrea Evers added that during the next 24 hours, she would be transporting the Senior Beta Club members to Richmond, VA, handing them off to Beta Club Sponsor Ryan O'Shea for their convention, and returning the junior high members to Cairo.)

• Superintendent Evers called on Mike Patton, representative of the First Student school bus service in attendance, to make remarks about the services they would be providing after their bid for transportation was accepted.

Okay, it's almost 7 p.m. Anybody got a Snicker's bar? It is becoming very obvious that we ain't goin' no place for a while...

Approval of Consent Agenda - Approved as a group without question or comment.

Report of Superintendent/Informational:

• Superintendent Evers informed the BOE that she has ordered 502 school uniforms...to insure that each student would have at least one (to meet the BOE's new requirement for the 2014-2015 school year.) She also mentioned that various individuals had donated a total of 90 tops and 40 bottoms. BOE Member Rodney Moore then raised a concern...that the BOE has complained in the past about unfunded mandates from the state...that it was his feeling that the new requirement of school uniforms was an unfunded mandate on the community...a community whose students were 100% poverty classified. Mr. Moore restated his personal opposition to the school uniform requirement, but told his fellow BOE members that "if you feel that strongly about it, fund it." (You would have to ask the BOE members, but I do believe that I was able to maintain a professional reporter's demeanor, suppressing my inner Cheshire CAT.) Mr. Moore actually called on the BOE (if they were determined to push forward with the school-uniform requirement) to provide at least two sets of uniforms to each student, maybe three, to insure that students would be able to have a clean uniform each day. Well, Mr. Moore's comments did not stay or alter the course. Moving right along...

• Press Policy Update (1st Reading)...mentioned with no comment or discussion.

• Set dates for Custodian and Teacher Assistant negotiations - Superintendent Evers indicated that the BOE needed to consider some dates in July. (Nothing more was mentioned about dates before or after closed session.

Speaking of closed session...

The BOE voted to enter closed session at 7:05 pm...not to re-emerge until 10:09! (Swear to God...the concrete steps at the old Junior High/Central Office building were softer than the red visitor chairs in the new digs. Of course, a 3-hour "time out" didn't help matters. Oh, and the refreshments were on their side of the door. Bears repeating: Moving right along...)

Well, the good news is that once the BOE exits closed session, they always whip through the remainder of the agenda in about 5 minutes.

Lets get this show on the road, I'm an old CAT, it's past my regular bed time, and the wee hours are approaching!

So...

Requiring Action/Decisions By Board of Education:

The BOE voted to accept the resignation of newly hired Middle School English Teacher Ruth Faith Cahill.

The BOE voted to hire Keith Campbell, Chelsie McKinney, and Jeanna Nance (see the agenda for positions.)

Athletic Hiring Recommendations (See Attached)...

..."see attached", hell! No list was provided in CAT's version of the "BOE packet". And there was no "approving" by group (which, legally, I don't think they can do.) So, as BOE President Artie McBride read the motions for the 19 athletic coaching positions, this old CAT and Mama CAT did take note (the only blessing was that President McBride read each name and position twice, well, an additional blessing being that she used a clear and forceful voice.)

Moving right along...

• Keeshia Carr - High School Cheerleader Sponsor

• Keoshia Woods - Junior High School Cheerleader Sponsor

• Larry Woods - High School Head Softball Coach

• Jamia Wiggins - Assistant High School Softball Coach

• Julian Watkins - Assistant Junior High School Baseball Coach

• Julian Watkins - Assistant High School Baseball Coach

• Joyce Ivy - Assistant High School Volleyball Coach

• Jamia Wiggins - Assistant Junior High School Volleyball Coach

• Joyce Ivy - Head Junior High School Volleyball Coach

• Brian Brandtner - Head High School Basketball Coach

• Larry Woods - Assistant High School Basketball Coach

• Kelly Shepard - Head High School Girls Basketball Coach

• Alvin Wiggins - Assistant High School Girls Basketball Coach

• Regina Brown - Head Junior High School Girls Basketball Coach

• Joe Jang - Assistant Junior High School Girls Basketball Coach

• Brian Brandtner - Head High School Boys Track Coach

• Alvin Wiggins - (Assistant High School Boys Track or Head Girls)

• Regina Brown - Head Junior High School Girls Track Coach

• Ronnie Woods - Head Athletic Director

(DISCLAIMER: There may be mistakes in the above listing. I don't think Madam CAT President wants me calling her at 4:30 a.m. to double-check my accounting of the athletic hires for the 2014-2015 school year. After she awakens and dutifully checks her e-mail and reads this missive, I'm sure that she will offer any necessary corrections, which I will then pass along. Okay...have since compared notes and made some corrections. The one position where our notes conflict is for the Alvin Wiggins track position, thus the notation in parentheses above. Also, missing in both of our accounts is a Head High School Volleyball Coach. Stay tuned...)

Moving right along...

Adopt FY14 Amended District Budget - Tabled. There will be a Public Hearing and Special Meeting on Thursday to address this issue. (Expletive Deleted)

Accept Bus Bid - First Student - Lowest bid. A 3-year contract, beginning July 1, 2014.

Items #6, 7, 8 and 9 - Approved (individually) without comment or discussion.

Renew Principal contract for Rose Gayle Pickett - Cairo Elementary School for the 2014/2015 school year and establish FY15 Salary - Tabled (Put on the agenda for the aforementioned Thursday Special Meeting.)

Approved: "Principal contract for Zena Madison - Cairo Jr/Sr High School for the 2014/2015 school year and establish FY15 Salary"...a 2% increase.

Adopt Parent/Student Handbook for the 2014/2015 School Year - Tabled.

And finally...

...a whole bunch more individual hirings.

Fortunately for those of us in the cheap (hard-as-hell) seats trying valiantly to keep up (stay awake?), a list of the first two groups (Summer School Paraprofessionals and Teachers for Cairo Elementary) was provided:

A similar listing of summer school hirings for CJSHS were NOT provided, but since the number was small, 3 (and the end was blessedly near...and Madam CAT President gave me a nudge), I was on it!

• Teacher: Nicholas Canady

• Teacher Assistants: Diann Thomas & Keoshia Woods

A motion was made, seconded, and approved to adjourn at 10:43 p.m.