Limestone County School Board faced questions at Tuesday’s regular meeting as to why private and home-school students have to pay tuition to attend Limestone County Career Technical Center.

Danny Barksdale told board members his private-schooled grandson attends the Tech Center, but was told he could not complete his career program without paying $3,600. He said his grandson started the program last year.

Barksdale said according to Craig Pouncey at the Alabama Department of Education the issue is entirely a local matter and a responsibility of the Limestone Board of Education.

Barksdale shared an email from Superintendent Sisk dated Sept. 24 that read, “The fact that students have attended for free in the past is an overpass.”

Barksdale said he disagrees. “The parents of private school students pay approximately $250,000 per year into the Limestone County education system,” Barksdale said. “Education expenses to the county are zero.”

Fee differences

Barksdale said asking them to pay tuition is double taxing students. He said it was hard to understand $3,600 a year for an hour and a half of instruction a day.

He said Tennessee students attend Limestone County schools for $490, which is apparently an average ad valorem or property tax being paid by people living in Limestone County. 

Barksdale said during a meeting with school board officials, including Zebbra Green and Jonathan Craft, he asked why Tennessee students could attend county schools for $490, but Limestone County residents in private school should pay $3,600?

He said during the meeting Green offered to lower the cost to $2,400. “I told her no thank you, that I thought I needed to go to the board meeting and congratulate them on the job they are doing for the students of Tennessee,” he said, adding he didn’t want to harm Tennessee students, but he does want the same consideration given to Limestone County residents.

“Everybody pays the schoolwide ad valorem (property) tax for schools regardless of whether they have children in school,” Jonathan Craft, Limestone County Schools chief financial officer said Wednesday.

“The Limestone County school system has never allowed home-schooled students to attend the Tech School, even if they want to pay a fee,” Craft said. “In the case of Athens City Schools, we have an official agreement allowing its students to attend because they have no Tech Center facility. They pay a fee based on the number of students they send to the Tech School.”

He said Athens Bible School students were allowed to attend the Tech School through “a handshake agreement way back when.” Meaning, there is apparently no formal, written agreement.

School officials believed that if Limestone Schools were charging Athens City Schools a fee for each Tech School student then it should also charge Athens Bible School the same fee per student, which amounts to $2,400 a year. The difference is that Athens City Schools pay the fee for its students and Bible School parents pay the fee for their students. 

Limestone County Schools also have an agreement with Tennessee land contiguous to Limestone. Those students can pay about $500 to attend Ardmore, Elkmont or West Limestone high schools and Cedar Hill Elementary School.

Craft said liability insurance is also an issue for those Bible School students going to the Tech School. 

The issue with the Bible School students is that Limestone receives about $5,000 in state funding per student actually enrolled full time in its schools, whereas it does not receive money from the state for those Bible School student attending the Tech School.

Barksdale concluded his address at the Tuesday meeting by saying the board of education is not doing what is in the best interest of students.

Equal consideration requested

“I’ve been told private school students have been attending the tech school since 1972 and that Tennessee students have been attending Limestone County schools even longer,” he said. He added he wants his grandson to have the same consideration as out-of-state students and for the school board to leave things as they are.

Although board members did not reply directly to his initial address, Barksdale did ask the board to allow his grandson to attend school through the end of the month, adding Friday would be his last day to attend unless he pays tuition. Sisk said he would meet with Barksdale Wednesday concerning the matter.

Rex Davis also addressed the school board concerning tuition at the tech school.

Davis said in a letter to board members that Limestone County is fortunate that educators and administrators established the Tech Center and that many young men and women have and will benefit from the institution.

He said he was disappointed to hear the county school board decided to charge taxpayers such as those who have children attending private schools a fee for their children to attend the Tech Center if they are not enrolled in the school system.

“I would ask this board to reconsider since the tax dollars for public schools are paid by all taxpayers. Our school system benefits financially from those who choose an alternate method to provide core subject education but need help when seeking technical training,” Davis said. “Is it not in the best interest of the public students to have access to public school technical programs?”

Other business

Other meeting items included approval of:

• New positions for a part-time assistant principal at East Limestone, library and media assistant at Elkmont and psychometrist at central office;

• Contracts for Angela Biggs, special education homebound teacher; Denise Persell, special education homebound teacher; Patsy Nash, Title I Parental Involvement Services; and Kirk Murphy, nonemployee girls softball assistant coach at Tanner High School;

• Hiring of Benita Devaney, Title I instructional assistant at Blue Springs Elementary School effective Oct. 3, for the remainder of the school year; Tammy Jones, reading coach at Johnson Elementary School effective Oct. 15; Leigh Dean, Title I instructional assistant at Tanner High School effective Oct. 3, for the remainder of the school year; Lindsey Ramsden, sixth-grade social science teacher at Tanner High School retroactive to Sept. 19, for the remainder of the school year; Paul Foreman and Michael Mewbourn, bus utility drivers at bus garage  effective Oct. 3;

• Transfers of Natalia Dooley from the SUCCESS mentor coordinator at central office to human resources and professional development coordinator at central office effective Oct. 8; Stacy Moore from a special education inclusion assistant at Piney Chapel to a special education inclusion assistant at Elkmont retroactive to Aug. 20; Lorel Pope from a CNP worker/assistant at Tanner to a CNP worker/assistant manager at Tanner retroactive to Aug. 20;

• Retirement of Janice Harrison as CNP worker/assistant at West Limestone effective Jan. 1;

• Resignations of William Gilbert as custodian at Blue Springs effective Jan. 1; and Melanie Etheredge Sr., Beta Club/Honor Society sponsor only at Tanner retroactive to Sept. 25;

• Leaves of absence for Mike Jackson, Sharon Bunn, Angie Holt and Joan Laxson;

• Substitute pay for Jessica French as Title I instructional assistant at Blue Springs, and Carol Jones as a mathematics teacher;

• Supplemental pay, temporary help and volunteers;

• Resolution authorizing the issuance by the board of its series 2012 warrants to refund the board’s outstanding services 1997 and 2002 warrants;

• Sale of fixed assets;

• Fiscal Year — 2013 Capital Plan;

• Baseball field lights at Tanner High School; and

• Election of board chairman Brett McGill and vice chairman Marty Adams.