By By Connie Nowlin
Managing editor
Escambia County Board of Education met in regular session Thursday and dealt with a wide variety of issues.
It adopted changes in some pay rates, primarily to teachers of the ROTC, since military pay rates change annually, and lunch room managers, which is based on number of students served.
The board also voted unanimously to award a computer hardware bid to Southern Computer Services of Atmore. Other bids were submitted but one vendor did not meet specifications for on-site repair, and another had previously disappointed the board with its repair work. Additionally, Southern Computer offered a five-year on-site hardware warranty.
Members of the county board of equalization were reappointed and the procedure of putting aside funds for reimbursement to teachers and aides for training was approved.
It is required that teachers and aides train to become highly qualified as part of the No Child Left Behind initiative, and the reimbursement is federally funded. In Escambia County, 76 percent of staff is highly qualified and the remainder is in training to achieve the level required.
The reimbursements are coming due soon because those in training are finishing summer course work.
Personnel issues, such as rehiring of teachers, were continued until the July 10 special meeting. The next regular meeting will be July 17, but budget hearings will not be held until late August.
The meeting at which a budget could be approved will not be held until after the September vote on Gov. Bob Riley's proposed budget. Staff felt that would save the board members from having to review and vote on an entirely different budget than one that might be passed before the state budget vote.