• 43°
franklin county times

School board vice president questions hiring practices

By By Georgia E. Frye / staff writer
June 22, 2004
Ed Lynch, vice president of the Meridian School Board, asked school administrators Monday to explain the district's policy on hiring new employees.
Lynch's remarks came during a regular meeting of the school board.
He did not say why he was questioning the school district's hiring policy. But Geral Loden, director of human resources, said he would research the answer.
Superintendent Sylvia Autry said the district's current policy authorizes the superintendent to advertise positions or fill them from within.
Lynch also asked school officials about mandatory drug testing for all district employees. He wants to know how much it would cost to test employees at the point they are hired, and then randomly each month.
Currently, the school district tests only bus drivers for drugs, but Lynch said anyone who interacts with students should be drug-free.
Loden said he would look into the costs and the legality of drug testing and report his findings to the board.
In other business, Autry announced that Oakland Heights Principal Kim Benton recently received the National Distinguished Principal's Award. The award from U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige is given to only one principal in each state.
The school board also took the following actions:
Lowered Meridian High School's graduation fee from $50 to $45;
Renewed an EduSoft Software agreement that provides practice tests for the Mississippi Curriculum Test to exclude prekindergarten and kindergarten, which will save the district more than $20,000 next year;
Accepted a $400,000 elementary school counseling grant from the Mississippi Department of Education; and
Approved an $18,000-a-year agreement with Weems Community Mental Health Center to provide mental health care services to about 1,000 employees and their families.

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: Veteran Spotlight – Mousey Brown

News

Russellville First Baptist Church receives historical marker

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: Meeting a higher standard – Russellville High School JROTC

News

RCS BOE announces new superintendent  

News

Miss Dream Girl Pageant names winners

Franklin County

First Metro Bank hosts FAME Girls’ Ranch donation drive

News

PCHS holds annual Shelby Grissom Memorial Fashion Show

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: VFW Post 5184 – ‘No One Does More For Veterans’

Features

Supporting students’ futures

Features

Red Bay Garden Club discusses amaryllis planting

Franklin County

UA announces local students for fall 2023 President’s, Dean’s, graduation lists

News

School news

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: Veteran Spotlight – Troy Oliver

Franklin County

Appropriations bill passes, allots more than $3 million for new Russellville library/multipurpose center 

Franklin County

Franklin County Cattlemen’s Association names Cattleman of the Year 

Franklin County

Franklin County votes: Unofficial March 5 primary election results 

Franklin County

Funding for new Russellville library, multipurpose community center expected this week

Features

Faces of Franklin County: BTCPA

News

GFWC Russellville Book Lovers Club sponsors downtown art crawl

Franklin County

PROGRESS 2024: Veteran Spotlight – Cody Bragwell

Franklin County

42nd annual Miss RHS pageant names winners 

News

Miss RHS pageant takes place Friday

Franklin County

Political announcement: David Hester speaks about run for reelection as county commissioner

Franklin County

BTCPA auditions for final production of season take place March 3-4 

x