School System Fixed
Jan 19 2023
As 2022 was ending, everything went to pot in the Clayberry School System.
The last superintendent was terminated followed by State Investigators doing a week long audit of what went wrong. With their Jan 9 2023 report made public we know, everyone now knows, our local school system is in a mess and has been for the last five years or so.
In addition to serious transgressions in record keeping spearheaded by that last superintendent, no communication between the Pentagon and school leadership, over staffing within the system and the Pentagon sitting on their collective butts. What use to be a proud gem for County Clay, it ain't no more and MUST be changed immediately.
The State folks gave us a road map to follow. They call the changes, "recommendations". In reality, those recommendations are actually, you make the changes or else risk being taken over by the State. The three biggies are cut expenses, get back to teaching students, and straighten up the Pentagon.
If you would like to read the entire Report on Clayberry, go back to our Jan 9th article on the COMMUNICATOR ONLINE newspaper section.
There is a given.
H E White Elem will be closed down. No two ways about it. With just over 50 kids in classrooms and that number expected to drop as soon as the new nearby Clendenin Elem opens in Sept 2023, the deed reverter clause will take affect and the old cinder block structure will go back to the Anderson family.
Now back on topic....
Over the last few days we've been thinking on the needed changes. After talking with others and getting getting our heads together, we are ready to make public our solution.
Clay Middle School with it's horrible curriculum, it must be closed down and boarded up.
With student population well below 500 at Clay High and designed to hold 800 kids, all the Middle School 7th and 8th graders can be transferred to CCHS and still have space left over. As for the 6th graders now at Clay Middle, they go back to the remaining grade schools, Big Otter, Clay Elem, and Lizemores. With those new 6thers back at the shrinking grade schools, that looks better on paper.
With Clay Middle closed, their few certified teachers can be moved elsewhere in the system to reduce the use of non certified fill in teachers.
Between utilities, removing two CMS administrators, counselors, janitors, cooks and everything else, we think the savings would be nearly $1 million per year. That a pretty good start.
If they sell the old structure, who knows, they may even generate a new nest egg.
We know that reduction really works. Just look at Calhoun County where one building houses the 7th thru 12th graders. It seems to be working just fine just one county away.
While it's true all the kids must be bused, we have too many half empty buses plying the roads. Pentagon leadership has to get some kind of puter generated scheduler that could reduce as many as four positions behind the wheel. Sure there will be resistance but the other alternative would go over like you know what in a punch bowl.
To comply with State laws on how long a student can be on a bus, that other plan is to do double runs for each remaining driver.
With cost cutting mandatory, there really ain't no other way. Either use that puter generated schedule and / or double runs each morning and afternoon. Even with that scenario, bus driver slots will need to be cut back by at least 4.
With the closing of Clay Middle, there's upwards of 20 teacher positions that can be eliminated. Keep the certified ones and everyone else, sorry, but goodbye.
Close the Middle School saving nearly $1 million and cut between 15 and 25 positions, all of a sudden, the Pentagon would be much more in compliance with state regulations.
Speaking of the Pentagon, the top heavy office, duties must be restructured to eliminate or make part time, at least one position, maybe two.
If our Sch Bd did all this, the problem has not been solved.
Edumacation would be still in the pits. Your kid is not getting what you're paying for. The State Sch Board made special reference to lack of learning at Clay Middle and Clay High School. Having just 30 or so graduates heading off to college or trade school, that's deplorable and an embarrassment.
Joan Haynie or whomever is hired to replace her, they sure have their hands full for the next 12 months.
Sorry to break the bad news readers, but either local leaders can make the changes or the State will come in and do whatever they want without ANY local input.
If you have other suggestions, just email em over, claycommunicator @hotmail.com
AW
Clay Middle School
Bye Bye