Staff Writer

Nov. 20, 2000 10 PM

Despite pleas to raise the pay for substitutes, the Pike County Board of Education voted not to.

During its meeting Monday night, the board went with a recommendation from Superintendent John Key and chose not to increase the daily pay for substitute bus drivers.

After reading through a list of salaries from surrounding counties, Key said, Pike County pays above the average, which is less than $30 per day. Substitute drivers for the county schools receive $44 per day.

Drivers also receive $25 per day for extra trips and minimum wage for anything over six hours.

Key recommended reducing that to four hours. The average day trip is about three hours.

While doing research, Key also checked on what other systems pay substitute teachers. He said Pike County pays substitute teachers "as high or higher" as other systems.

In other business, the board:

· Members were presented copies of the 2000-2001 Comprehensive Plan, which is about three inches thick and is "more or less a game plan" for the school system, Key said.

Assistant Superintendent Mark Bazzell said this is the fourth year a comprehensive plan has been done.

He said the plan is "so the right hand knows what the left hand is doing" and insures money is spent wisely.

"Anything and everything you’d ever want to know about what were doing is in this," Bazzell said.

· Approved a Community Oriented Policing Services grant contract with the city of Brundidge.

Under the contract, the Brundidge Police Department will provide an officer who will spend half a day at Pike County Elementary School and the other half at Pike County High School.

Key said he wants the students to understand the officer will be there to assist them and not "to look over their shoulders" while they are at school.

· Received an update on the Private Eyes Education Program and Children’s First grants funds that will put surveillance cameras on the campuses of PCHS and Goshen High School.

Bazzell said plans are to install about 15 cameras at each campus.

· Members were updated on the High Hopes grant which will provide revendication to high school students.

The program will include 200 hours of peer tutoring and 160 hours of adult tutorial help. It will also include an outreach program through Troy State University, which will provide a math remediation program through the Internet.

Bazzell said the county will pay for dial-up access for sites, such as libraries, volunteer fire departments and churches which are willing to help with the program.

· Gave permission for a bus and driver to take the PCHS drama club to the state competition in Birmingham on Dec. 1-2.

· Accepted the retirement of Elise White, effective Nov. 16.

· Presented a Alabama Education Media Honor Roll 2000 certificate to Beth Lakey for "outstanding coverage of public education in Alabama." The award is presented by the Alabama Association of School Boards.