Cloverdale approves lighting upgrades

CLOVERDALE -- The Cloverdale School Board approved Phase I of the Lighting Upgrade Project with Energy Harness during its meeting on Monday.

Phase I will replace the lights in the classrooms and the hallways in all four buildings. Initial installment costs are $290,693.55, but the corporation will be reimbursed in the amount of $144,176.50 by Duke Energy. The estimated annual savings are $86,000 a year.

“Substantial savings for the corporation,” Superintendent Greg Linton said, “not to mention the fact that the lighting in the classrooms, hallways, libraries will be much better than it currently is.”

Another bid from Bee Fit in the amount of $305,347 was turned down.

In other developments:

-- Absences: Chris Mann and Rob Schroer were absent.

-- Board policies: The board heard the second reading of Board Policies 0140-8500 and adopted them.

-- Claims: The board approved the claims at a total of $1,316,496.47, an increase of $397,990.90 from last month and a jump of $497,505.57 from the April-September average. The increase is due to the approval of Phase I of the Lighting Upgrade Project with Energy Harness.

-- Pay Increases and Stipends: The board approved pay increases and stipends for hourly, salary non-certified and administrator employees.

Hourly employees saw a 1.5 percent pay increase, a one-time $750 stipend for full-time employees and a one-time $375 stipend for part-time employees. Salary employees saw a $725 addition to their base pay and a one-time $750 stipend. Administrator employees saw a $725 addition to their base pay and a one-time $750 stipend.

“On behalf of the employees,” Linton said, “we just appreciate your support. It’s good to know that you work at a place where your board supports you and is willing to approve those kind of pay increases for us.”

-- Personnel Report: The board approved the following personnel report:

-- Employment: Valerie Garrison (CES instruction assistant)

-- Hire: Shawn Mattingly (CMS assistant football coach), Travis Dorsett (8th grade girls’ basketball coach) and Josh Beck (CHS assistant wrestling coach)

-- Volunteer: Brian Siddons (CHS volunteer assistant wrestling coach) and Bryan Gerard (volunteer varsity boys’ assistant basketball coach)

-- Students of the Month: The October Students of the Month were Jocelyn Peck (3rd grade), Brady Mann (8th grade) and Abigail Walker (junior).

-- Surplus Exercise Machines: The board declared three exercise machines surplus and granted permission to sell. In answer to a question from President Duane Huge, Linton said there was nothing said about needing to replace them.

The next Cloverdale School Board meeting will be Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. in the Cloverdale Administration Building.