The Athens Board of Education approved a revision of board policy Thursday to comply with state law changing the compulsory attendance age of students from 7 to 6 years old.

The policy reads that every student residing in the area between the ages of 6 and 17 will be required to attend a state-approved school for the entire length of the school year.

The policy is as follows:

• A child whose fifth birthday is on or before Sept. 1 or the date school begins will be entitled to admission in kindergarten classes.

• A child whose sixth birthday is on or before Sept. 1 or the date school begins will be entitled to admission to first-grade classes.

• For out-of-state transfers, a child whose sixth birthday is after Sept. 1 or the date on which school begins will not be admitted to first-grade classes in the school system that year unless that child has completed a public or legally mandated kindergarten program in another state or that child has transferred from the first grade of school in another state and the board has approved the child’s admission in first grade.

Other approved items:

• A joint purchasing agreement between the Limestone County Board of Education and Athens Board of Education for the child nutrition program. The purpose of the agreement is to purchases produces and bread for a period of one year through competitive bids.

• Summer feeding contract between Athens City Schools and the Boys & Girls Club of North Alabama and the Athens-Limestone Mental Health Counseling Center;

• 2012 summer school program Camp Learn-A-Lot for 2012-13 kindergarten students from 8-11 a.m. July 23-27 and July 30-Aug. 3. Funding provided through Title I funds. Camp Learn-A-Lot is $50 per child. Financial assistance will be available for students unable to pay. Teacher salaries are $825 for teachers with a bachelor’s degree and $915 for teachers with a master’s degree.

• Summer school for Athens Middle School June 4-29. Four teachers will be employed for four weeks, five days per week for a total of $1,683 per teacher.

• Revisions to board policies JDEA and JNA related to cyberbullying. The term cyberbullying related to the policy means willful and repeated use of electronic devices to demean, threaten, offend or harm the victim. Cyberbullying includes the use of email, text messages, picture messaging, video messaging, instant messaging, social network sites and other forms of electronic communication to harass, intimidate or threaten another student.

• Retirements of Susan Anderson, Title I teacher at Brookhill Elementary School; Laura Warren, kindergarten teacher at Brookhill Elementary School; Linda Owens, second-grade teacher at Cowart Elementary School; and Elizabeth Glasscock McDaniel, kindergarten teacher at Julian Newman Elementary School;

• Resignations of Karen Clem, assistant softball coach at Athens High School; Hannah Cain, kindergarten teacher at Cowart Elementary School; Kelly Hendrix, math teacher and head softball coach at Athens High School; Darshell Sandefer, speech/language pathologist at Julian Newman Elementary School; Susan Adams as system-wide LPN aide for special transportation;

• Non-renewals of Jason Christopher, instructional aide at Eagle Academy; Darlene Gibson, JROTC instructor at Athens High School; David Smothers, driver education instructor, assistant varsity football coach and assistant baseball coach; Lorinda Otto, special education teacher at Athens Middle School; 

• Employment of Dorothy Hamlett, English teacher at Athens High School; Stacy Kirby, English teacher at Athens High School; Eddie Murphree, assistant freshman football coach at Athens High School; Jonathan Snider, head wrestling coach at Athens High School; Fran Nelson, temporary maintenance; Laura Moore, fifth-grade teacher at Athens Intermediate School; Finee Downing, reading coach at Brookhill Elementary School;

• Transfers of Lindsey Shexnayder from computer lab aide at Athens Intermediate School to fifth-grade teacher at Athens Intermediate School; Jamie Scott from secretary of maintenance/transportation to secretary of finance department;

• Tenures for Megan Adams, Elisha Ballard, Jennifer Hall, Donna Hargrove, Ben Heatherly, Sue Noah, Christy Swafford, Stace Tedford and Kristen Tippee.