By Toni Garrard Clay/AISD Communications Specialist
Members of the Athens ISD Board of Trustees took care of business in short order Monday night at their regular monthly meeting.
In his administrative report, Superintendent Blake Stiles said the renovated cafeteria and eight new classrooms at Central Athens Elementary (formerly Athens Intermediate School) will be ready by the first day of school. However, the new connecting hall joining the main building to the cafeteria and gym will not be. The deluge of rain received in the spring and early summer put construction behind schedule. Until the connecting hall is finished, the gym and cafeteria will be accessible from the outside, as they have always been. At the high school, construction on the new band hall will continue into the beginning of the school year.
The board unanimously approved contracts for support services provided through two regional service centers: Region VII and Region X. The agreements range from special education services to legal consulting to a bilingual/ESL cooperative. Athens is located approximately the same distance from the two support centers and benefits from being able to utilize both. The total amount to be paid for the combined service agreements is $113,344.50.
The board also approved application for the Optional Flexible School Day Program. The program, which provides flexible hours and days of attendance for eligible at-risk high school students, must have its application approved annually by the board of trustees in order to be implemented. “We may not move forward with this program,” explained Renee Campbell, director of Educational Services, “but we do want to have the option if we decide it’s needed.”
Campbell told board members the high school is unlikely to need the program because campus leadership already takes scheduling into consideration regarding how to best serve their at-risk population, but it makes good sense to have all options available.