BLOUNTVILLE — Sullivan County’s college board has mentioned sure to just about $2.5 million in federal grant cash by way of Tennessee, and a few of it’s going to live-saving defibrillators.
The board at its Tuesday assembly voted 5-Zero with two absent to just accept $2,459,197.24 in federal Epidemiology and Laboratory Capability (ELC) grant funds in change for doing COVID testing on college students and employees.
The vote additionally authorized spending a part of that cash on a three-year nursing software program contract, computer systems for that, and new automated exterior defibrillators to exchange ones with expiring batteries that college officers mentioned can’t get replaced. The cash additionally will likely be used to purchase extra AEDs for varsity places with out them, interim Director of Colleges Evelyn Rafalowski mentioned.
A piece session on July 29 will tackle the right way to spend the remainder of the ELC funds and COVID-19 reduction funds beneath the Elementary and Secondary Faculty Emergency Aid Fund (ESSER) 2.Zero and three.Zero.
The 58 AEDs, at $1,495 every via a cooperative buying settlement not requiring bids, plus equipment will price greater than $100,000 whereas the nursing software program and computer systems will price $87,000.
The cash is in change for the varsity system doing COVID-19 assessments on college students and adults within the system. It initially was to have been about $1.2 million, however as a result of different techniques didn’t apply, the county system acquired extra, college officers mentioned.
In different issues Tuesday, the board:
• Allowed a brief COVID-19 improve of substitute instructor pay to $100 a day expire, that means it’ll return to $65 for non-certified and $70 for licensed substitutes. The matter could possibly be revisited later.
• Elevated the pay for The Video Man to livestream conferences and work classes from $150 to $200 per assembly or session in a one-year contract approval after he was the one bidder.
• Accepted a change placing in additional necessities to grant college students a social promotion, together with necessary attendance of fogeys at two conferences, and housekeeping modifications in grading. Each have been amendments to the Scholar Rights and Duties handbook.
• Heard Rafalowski report the Tuesday morning dying of Sandy Davis, who labored at Sullivan North Excessive Faculty from its opening in 1980 to its everlasting closure in Could of this yr. She additionally had extra time within the system. “She gave the whole lot to that college,” mentioned Rafalowski, a instructor and coach at North when it opened. “I don’t assume I heard her have a cross phrase for anyone.”
• Heard Rafalowski report that county system academics will return Aug. 2 to lecture rooms and college students Aug. 9. The brand new West Ridge Excessive Faculty, a merger of Sullivan South, North and Central excessive colleges, will stagger its first week with juniors and seniors Monday and Wednesday, freshmen and sophomores Tuesday and Thursday and all college students Friday.
