LOCAL NEWS — The Metro School Board will meet today (Monday, November 8) in a regular session meeting at 6 p.m. at the Department of Education Building located at 308 Mechanic Street North just behind Lynchburg Elementary.

In new business, the board will be asked to view and vote on a Moore County Schools Instructional Calendar for the 2022-23 School Year. To view that proposed calendar, click here. Director of Schools Chad Moorehead drafts the calendar each year after asking for feedback from teachers, staff, and parents in an online survey. This year that survey ran in mid-October.

School officials will also ask the board to consider a request to place gates on “Athletic Drive” on the Moore County High School campus. Two gates would be placed on the road: one at the turn from Goodbranch Road and a second at the entrance near the MCHS Gym at the front of the high school. Lynchburg Elementary PTO will ask the Board to approve several projects including painting the wall behind LES, removing the gazebo in the reading garden, and tinting classroom windows. The MCHS Hoops Club will also seek permission to purchase padding for the new MCHS Gym to prevent player injuries during games.

MCHS officials will ask the Board to approve naming Lanie Turner as the Interim Health Science Department Teacher. Turner currently serves as a substitute for Belinda Smith, who has experienced an extended absence due to complication from COVID-19. The change would increase Turner’s daily pay rate from a substitute teacher rate to a first year teacher rate. In another personnel line item, Diane Dickey recently announced her intention to retire as the LES Bookkeeper as of December 31. In his Director’s Report, Moorehead will announce that Cortney Hardin has been hired as an MCHS Teacher’s Assistant.

The Board will also consider bids for a new 72 passenger school bus. Mid South Bus Center submitted the only bid at $98,777. (Editor’s Note: This line item amount was corrected after receiving additional information from the Director of Schools.)

In other items, Director Moorehead will present the Moore County School System Report Card, a state funding review, and a first quarter financial report.

All school board meetings are open to the public and an agenda can be viewed by clicking here. If you can’t attend in person, The Lynchburg Times will live blog the public meeting as it happens. •

{The Lynchburg Times is the only independently owned and operated newspaper in Lynchburg. We cover Metro Moore County government, Jack Daniel’s Distillery, Nearest Green Distillery, Tims Ford State Park, Motlow State Community College, Moore County High School, Moore County Middle School, Lynchburg Elementary, Raider Sports, plus regional and state news.}