Oktibbeha County school officials set events in motion Monday night to bring free H1N1 vaccines to district students.
They also approved a job description to create four new part-time learning strategist positions, and approved a $5 per student activity fee for participation in an elementary art club.
Superintendent James Covington said the Mississippi Department of Health contacted the district through the local health department seeking to administer the H1N1 vaccine in the schools to students. The vaccine is being offered free of charge to all public and private school-aged children.
“They want to offer it in the schools because of the increased risk of infection” in this age group, Covington said.
Parents must provide written consent before children can be vaccinated for H1N1. The free vaccinations are not being offered to faculty. Covington said he would contact the department today to move the process forward.
The new job creation comes as the district’s response to not meeting a special education injunction that deals with the number of children identified for special education.
“We had to set aside SPED money to prevent (too many) students from being identified for special education,” Covington said. “This person will identify learning deficiencies early so they can be targeted for intervention.”
Covington said the district will advertise for four part-time positions to work one at each of the district’s four schools for four hours a day, five days a week. He said they are hoping to hire retired teachers who already hold a valid Mississippi teaching license.
In other business, the board approved a $5 activity fee for members of the new art club at East Elementary School. There is no fee to take the art class, which is being piloted at East Elementary before it is started at West Elementary. Students in the class can be recommended for participation in the art club, and it is here that the one-time activity fee will be charged.
“I want to make sure the board is aware we are charging a $5 activity fee for involvement,” Covington said.
The board will meet again Dec. 7 at West Oktibbeha Elementary School.
