The Wilkes County Board of Education discussed preparations for the upcoming start of the 2008-2009 school year, and agreed to consider joining a lawsuit against the state for adequate school funding.

Superintendent Joyce Williams reported that with the exception of one paraprofessional and one support position, the schools are fully staffed. The staff will be holding its annual Admin Retreat here, Williams said. "We can't afford to go anywhere." Speakers will hold sessions on Title IX issues and school budgeting.

An orientation for new teachers is set for Monday and Tuesday, with a luncheon at noon Monday. Pre-planning will be held systemwide from August 4 through 7, with a county-wide breakfast set for August 4. The first day of school is August 8.

At the beginning of the meeting, Board Chairman Ricky Callaway and members Kay Finnell, Bob Guin, Kelly Powell, and Steve Albertson discussed the ongoing lawsuit against the state of Georgia by the Consortium for Adequate School Funding (CASFG.org).

One-third of the school systems in the state are participating in the lawsuit, which seeks $1 billion more in funding from the state of Georgia to adequately fund schools. Wilkes County board members had considered joining the lawsuit once before, and Monday night decided to hear from a representative of the organization again. "Every year we're cutting deeper and deeper into our programs," said Callaway, "and I think we need to consider this."

The board approved the new student handbook for Washington-Wilkes Comprehensive High School, although not without controversy. The handbooks had been the subject of extensive discussion for weeks, and small modifications had been made to satisfy some objections. The latest version, submitted by Principal Steve Echols and recommended by Williams, was before the board Monday night. When board member Kay Finnell again brought up the need for more leniency in the out-of-school suspension policy, Callaway disagreed, saying, "We need to approve or disapprove, not micromanage." The proposed handbook was approved by a 3-2 vote of the board with members Finnell and Albertson voting against.

In the construction update, Williams said that the plans for a field house had hit a snag. The spot had been chosen, a floor plan had been picked, and the building was ready to be put out for bids. However, she said, the fire marshal said that, because of the size of the building, a set of plans would need to be drawn up and submitted for approval, adding time and expense to the project.

Williams said that she is working with Eric Holton on a landscaping plan for the new site, with hopes of doing the landscape in sections. She is also meeting with GDOT representatives to get a clearer understanding of the funding process.

After a final reading of two proposed policy changes on the high school graduation requirement, the board voted to approve both policies.

In the board's financial report, Elaine Wheatley said that she is in the process of closing out the fiscal year, and reviewed the findings of the state audit report for 2007 for the board.

The board met in Executive Session to discuss potential litigation.