By By ANNA M. LEE Managing Editor
At its meeting Monday, April 19, the Brewton City School Board accepted a bid to purchase 110 new computers for all three city schools.
The low bidder, InLine, a distributor of Gateway computers, will provide the computers at a cost of $116,380. About $92,000 of the cost will be paid for by federal funds which are intended to improve technology and promote rural education. The remainder of the cost will come from local funds.
In the past, when the school system has purchased new computers, it donated the old computers to other school systems. Superintendent Lynn Smith suggested that he'd like to make these old computers available to low-income students, but the school system's software licensing agreements create a problem.
The board also voted to update its Out-of-District agreement for parents and students who choose to attend Brewton City Schools but do not live within the city school district.
New wording, to be effective in the next school year, strengthens the agreement to make out-of-district students and parents aware that the school system will not tolerate excessive unexcused absences and unexcused tardies.
In other business, the board discussed two changes to its Student Code of Conduct for 2004-2005.
The first change would add "deception toward school personnel or others in authority" to Type II offenses.
Another amendment, under Student Transportation, rewords one-week or two-week suspension from the school bus to read "up to one week" and "up to two weeks," giving administrators more flexibility.
These two proposed changes to the Code of Conduct will be submitted to presidents of parent organizations, presidents of employee organizations and the schools for input before the board votes on the matter at its May meeting.
The board also voted to approve its textbook committee's recommendations for adoption of mathematics, health and physical education textbooks.
In personnel, the board voted to hire Eddie Brundidge as physical education instructor and coach for Brewton Middle School. Beginning next school year, Brundidge will take the position vacated by Jeff Torrence. Brundidge, currently teaching at Jackson High School in Clarke County, was previously employed at Brewton Middle School for three years.