By Karen Hall

Editor

School board members started their meeting Monday with the enjoyable task of recognizing students who scored 100 percent on their TCAP and end-of-course tests.

"Student achievement is always exciting," said Chairman Mike Keny.

"This is by far one of the very best things we do," agreed Director of Schools Jackie Abernathy.

One by one the students were called to the front of the room to receive certifcates, and Abernathy knew something special about many of them. Elizabeth Worley's parents are both teachers, Jenna Cheatham's grandmother is a retired teacher, and Andrew Gold is the son of school board member Kristen Gold.

Finally, when Jacob Gilley's name was called, Abernathy said, "I taught your mom."

Moving on to serious business, Beth Stockwell gave board members a presentation on what changes will have to be made in employees' health insurance because of the Affordable Care Act.

"It will be a lot of record keeping," she said. "The big thing is to be in compliance every year."

"Do you have enough personnel to be able to do it?" asked board member Harvey Jones Jr.

"Yes," said Stockwell. "We have 2014 to practice." The first deadline does not come until March 2016. One problem is that no one has come out with any special software to help track part-time employees and substitute teachers and their hours of work, so each local education authority is having to figure out a way to get it done.

Board members approved a contract between Sun-Drop Bottling Company and Marshall County High School. In return for having their vending machines at MCHS, Sun-Drop will be supplying new electronic basketball scoreboards, a softball scoreboard, and a soccer scoreboard.

"They're the best money can buy," said MCHS prinicipal John Bush. "It's about $30,000 worth of scoreboards, and they're going to maintain them as well. The basketball scoreboards are like a Christmas present for us."

According to the contract, Sun-Drop "is the exclusive seller and supplier of non-dairy beverages to Marshall County High School until June 30, 2019," but this is "subject to customer satisfaction each year."

Unfortunately, such a contract is not available for Cornersville or Forrest because soft drinks can only be offered at schools that house grades nine to 12 exclusively.

After the holidays, board members will be back at work in their committees, addressing such issues as the deplorable state of school roofs throughout the county.

"It's not a pretty picture," said Abernathy, referring to what she had been told by a roofing consultant.