MORGANTON, N.C.,None — If you're the parent of a Burke County student, you either have received a letter or soon will asking if you'd like to opt your child out of paddling as a punishment.
Don't be alarmed, says interim Burke County Superintendent Larry Putnam; your child will likely not be spanked.
Putnam told the Burke County Board of Education at its regular meeting Monday night that while state law and board policy allow corporal punishment in Burke schools, administrators shun the practice, and it is seldom, if ever, used.
He does not question the effectiveness of corporal punishment.
"Paddling worked for me," Putnam said, "I'll say that."
The issue instead is a fear of lawsuits.
The interim superintendent said McDowell County's school system is currently facing litigation after one student reported receiving bruises from a paddling in that system.
Despite the lack of spankings in Burke classrooms, administrators were still required to allow parents and guardians to opt out of school administered paddlings because of a recently passed state law.
Board member Buddy Armour said he's a believer in corporal punishment and fears taking paddling off the table leaves teachers with few options for problem students. He suggested administrators support educators in finding "creative solutions" to replace the practice.
Riddle Center eyes Mountain View
Putnam also told the board that the J. Iverson Riddle Developmental Center is considering leasing Mountain View from Burke County Public Schools.
The center, formerly the Western Carolina Center, is concerned about how the Enola Road widening project will impact the residential program for those with developmental disabilities, Putnam said. The center is weighing temporarily moving to Mountain View until the project is complete.
The building has not been used since Mountain View was consolidated into Hillcrest Elementary School in 2010.
The issue came up while the board was considering the capital outlay in the 2011-12 fiscal year budget. The administration had initially suggested making $695,000 in improvements to the building.
The board did not believe it should install wireless or playground equipment into a school that was not currently in use and that figure was shaved to $135,000, which will cover flooring, ceilings, lights, doors, a hot water heater and painting.
SACS/CASI visit
A team with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement, the agency that accredits Burke County Public Schools, is scheduled to visit on Dec. 15.
However, Putnam and board members are hoping to push that visit back a few months.
Four of the board's seven members will be replaced in the Nov. 8 elections and Putnam is new to his role as interim superintendent.
Putnam says this is too little time for him to get a handle on everything and board chair Catherine Thomas said the new board will have only about one week to prepare.
The board unanimously approved a resolution for Thomas to write a letter requesting SACS CASI delay the visit until early 2012.
Transfer still nixed
A plan to transfer Hallyburton Academy's gym to the town of Drexel was again denied.
Thomas gave the board a chance to reconsider last meeting's refusal of the contract between the school system. None of the nay-sayers wanted to revisit the proposal, which is required for a new vote.
The plan has divided the school board in recent months. The board narrowly approved declaring the gym surplus in a 4-3 vote, then deadlocked last month on transferring the gym to Drexel in a 3-3 vote. A tie vote denies a motion.
In other business:
» The board unanimously approved its $115.5 million budget for 2011-12. A new vote was needed as legislators have since approved a state budget.
» Doug Setzer, transportation director for Burke County schools, again told board members that the system charges $2 per mile for activity bus use. The funds offset fuel and maintenance and bring in enough money to replace the activity bus every other year.
» The board OK'd a beginning teacher plan required for Title II.
WSOC
