I. Call To Order

II. Roll Call - Griggs, Burris, Posey, Mallory, Huff, and Gooden. (Jones entered at 6:39 p.m.)

III. Recognition of Guests/Comments From Public And Employees - None

IV. Approval of Previous Minutes - Motion made, seconded, and approved.

1. Regular Minutes of September 16, 2004
2. Closed Minutes of September 16,2004
3. Public Hearing Minutes of September 23, 2004
4. Special Minutes of September 23,2004

V. Approval of Agenda - Regular Meeting & Closed Meeting - Motion made, seconded, and approved.

VI. Approval of Treasurer's Report - Motion made, seconded, and approved.

VII. Approval of Payment of Bills/Payroll - Motion made, seconded, and approved.

VIII. Informational - Superintendent Harbin reported on the following:

1. System Progress Report - 1st Quarter - All buildings had experienced a good First Quarter of the school year.

2. Cairo Community Center Update - The Regional Office of Education is ready to move into the old junior high building as soon as the Cairo BOE approves same...hopefully at tonight's meeting. Cairo Central Office personnel plan on moving on November 1st, but it is contingent on telephone and computer lines being installed so that payroll can be made. If not, the move will be made on November 16th. A motion was made, seconded, and approved to lease the old junior high building to ROE.

3. Fingerprinting/Criminal Background Check Update - All new employees have been scheduled and the process should be completed by November 3rd.

4. Curriculum Coordinator/Instructional Specialist Report - She is doing an outstanding job and teachers are working well with her.

5. Buildings/Grounds Report - Still far behind in getting things done due to the diversion of efforts in getting the junior high building ready.

6. Budget Summary - September 30, 2004 - Have developed a cash flow statement which shows available funds of $1,750,000. District needs to look into investing $500,000 to $1 million in order to earn interest.

7. Audit Response - District is in compliance, but there are "exceptions" - procedures that need to be changed. District is working on developing and implementing changes.

8. Cairo Junior/Senior High School Yearbook - 2004-2005 - Sponsor indicates that the yearbook (as it is currently produced) will not be able to pay for itself and that the BOE would have to continue to subsidize it - in excess of $1000. Only 30 yearbooks are sold each year. A suggestion was made to "do it ourselves" - produce a good quality yearbook "in house". A motion was made, seconded, and approved to do so.

9. Communications - CAT, CAESP, Local 773 - I took the opportunity to comment that this school year was the most "uneventful" in memory...that all was quiet on the labor/management front...a welcome change indeed!

10. School Board Legal Liability Coverage - IASB - No Discussion

11. Checks Deposited - District Account - No Discussion

$181,633.19 - State Aid - August - 2nd Payment
10,304.00 - Tap Grant Payment
476,016.51 - Real Estate Taxes - Alexander County
27,294.03 - Personal Property Replacement Tax
181,633.19 - State Aid - September - 1st Payment
50.00 - Rent - Laidlaw Transit

IX. Requiring Action/Decisions By Board of Education

1. Ratification/Approval of Lease - Junior High School Building - Done earlier under VIII-2.

2. Request to Approve Revised Drug and Alcohol Workplace Policy - Motion made, seconded, and approved.

3. Audit Report - Kemper CPA Group - Audit Representative Walker presented an overview of the audit, indicating that the firm found the District to be generally in compliance - i.e. "no instances of noncompliance that are required to be reported under Government Auditing Standards". The audit did identify "exceptions" - procedures that needed to be changed in order to comply with best auditing practices. Mostly, these fell into the category of double checking expenditure of funds - one person authorizing payment and another person actually making payment. Other exceptions involved reimbursements to employees that would be considered "taxable benefits" without proper documentation - e.g. $30 monthly payment to principals for mileage. Ms. Walker indicated that Dr. Harbin had informed her that measures had already been implemented to address and correct most of the "exceptions".

* Accept Audit Report - Motion made, seconded, and approved.

4. Appoint Election Designees For Board Election - Primary designee is Brenda Jones; the alternate is Ilene Pierce.

5. Recommendation For Employment - Extra Curriculum - Tabled until after closed session.

X. Closed Session - The BOE voted to enter closed session at 6:45 p.m. The BOE voted to exit closed session at 8:00 p.m. Superintendent Harbin made the following recommendations for employment which were approved by the BOE:

* James Davis - Band Director/Marching Auxiliary Sponsor
* Linda Maborn - Junior High Student Council Sponsor
*Teresa Hammond- Girls High School Basketball Head Coach
* Bernard Brown - Girls Jr. High School Basketball Assistant Coach
* Serina Nelson - High School Beta Club Sponsor
* Larry Baldwin - Assistant High School Football Coach
* Tommy Ellis - Assistant High School Football Coach
* Betty Lane - Year Book Sponsor
* Ralph McEIearney - Interscholastic Bowl Sponsor
* Catherine Scott - Student Council Sponsor - Cairo High

XI. Old Business - None