COVINGTON, Ga. — Newton County students will start the 2021-2022 school year on Monday, Aug. 2, 2021.
Members of the Newton County Schools Board of Education met briefly Tuesday night to approve the calendar among other business items. The calendar adopted was tabbed as Option 1 of three possible calendars. It was preferred based on results of an online survey that included input from all employees, parents and community members.
Option 2 had a start date of Aug. 9 and end date of May 27. Option 3 had a start date of Sept. 7 and end date of June 16. All three calendar options had 190 teacher days and 180 student days.
Under the approved Option 1, there will be a full week allotted for fall break Oct. 11-15, a full week allotted for Thanksgiving break Nov. 22-26, two weeks for the winter holiday break Dec. 20-Dec. 31, a mid-winter break of two days that will equate to a four-day weekend to recognize Presidents’ Day on Feb. 18 and 21, and a full week for spring break April 4-8. The last day of school for students will be Friday, May 20, 2022.
In other business, the board:
• Approved a FY 2021 budget amendment to include a 1% one-time pay adjustment in January for all employees in the approximate amount of $1.2 million. Additionally, the superintendent recommended the budget for FY 2021 be amended to include $500,000 for educational programming.
• Approved the annual renewable contract for fleet inspection services for the pupil transportation department be awarded to Morgan Fleet Services Inc., of Monroe, by a 3-2 vote (Board Members Anderson Bailey and Eddie Johnson opposed). The effective date will be Dec. 16 through Dec. 15, 2021. The total estimated cost is $114,400. Bailey and Johnson opposed because, as they stated during last week’s work session, they preferred services to be done in-house.
• Approved the USDA commodity storage and hauling needed for the school system be purchased from ACC Distributors Inc., of Leesburg. The estimated contract value is $35,000.
• Approved the purchase of virtual tutoring services from Focus Care, Inc. (DBA FEV Tutor, Inc.). The total cost is $35,000.
Approved the purchase of instructional resources from Renaissance, of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. The total cost is $49,032.50.
• Approved the annual renewable contract be awarded to Manning Enterprises, Inc. (doing business as K-12 Consultants) of Fort Meyers Beach, Florida, for Erate consulting services be renewed for an additional contract period. The effective date of the renewal will be Dec. 19 through Dec. 18, 2021.
• Approved 1,399 Chromebooks, laptop computers and accessories needed for the school system be purchased from Dell Marketing L.P. of Round Rock, Texas. The total cost will be $622,319.20.
• Approved the mobile device carts needed for the school system be purchased from CDW.G of Vernon Hills, Illinois. The total cost is $48,430.
