Open Letter
At the July 12 D5 School Board meeting, Dr. Ross shared his vision of moving forward with first and foremost being the welfare of each and every student. Any decision must address the question, “How are the Children?”
Actions were taken at this meeting that will directly impact the classroom and the well being of every student. The following actions were taken and approved and discussion on other important issues were prioritized to be addressed in the near future.
1. The substitute teacher contract was improved by increasing substitute pay.
2. To assist Interim Superintendent Dr. Ross, a consultant will be hired to look at Organizational Structure & Efficiency. The fee for this service was discussed and a cap of $10,000 was approved.
3. A priority was placed on Discipline & Bullying by Dr. Ross and the entire Board.
4. A discussion only item that is a priority of Dr. Ross and the entire Board is to ensure that we are following the State’s Procurement and Audit requirements.
5. Chapin High roofing problems were addressed. The Board voted to have our attorney pursue remedies before the Statute of Limitations runs out. The original roof was not done to specifications which caused leakage. In 2018 an unlicensed contractor was hired and we still have the problem. Water intrusion can have major negative impacts, including mold. Not good for our children.
I hope you can see that your Board is hard at work for All the Children.
Jan Hammond
Chair of Lexington/Richland School District 5
