School schedule may change as Syrupmakers advance

Cairo is hosting the Baldwin Braves this Friday night at West Thomas Stadium and should Cairo win and Blessed Trinity Catholic High School win over Troupe County on Friday night, the following week the Syrupmakers would have to travel to Roswell, north of Atlanta. Should Cairo win and Troupe upset Blessed Trinity, the second round game would be held here.

Grady County School Superintendent Dr. Kermit Gilliard briefed the school board Tuesday night on his contingency planning.

According to Dr. Gilliard, it takes 10 buses to transport the football team, band and cheerleaders. Due to the length of the trip, the school system would be required to have two drivers per bus, which means the system would not have enough drivers left in Cairo to man the regular bus routes.

“We are looking at the possibility of canceling school or having an early release day next Friday if it becomes necessary,” the superintendent said.

“We have to consider what is best for all students, not just the high school,” he added.

School system officials would prefer having an early release day rather than no school so that children who depend on the hot breakfast and lunches served at school would be able to have them.

“We know it is somewhat premature to discuss, but we want to let you know what we are thinking and to let you know what is up for consideration,” Dr. Gilliard said.

Board member John White asked if officials had considered the possibility of chartering buses for the anticipated trip. Dr. Gilliard said he had not been involved in discussions of chartering buses, but he did not rule out the possibility that high school officials may have.

White said it would be worth the time to obtain prices and compare the costs as part of the decision making process.

Dr. Gilliard said a decision, if needed, would be made by next Tuesday.

In other business Tuesday night, the school board:

Authorized the hiring of the following personnel: Wanda Hampton – nurse at Southside Elementary School; Patty Eidson – 49 percent gifted teacher at Eastside Elementary School and Shiver Elementary School; Jessica Kelly and Bobbie James – food service assistants at Whigham Elementary School.

Accepted the resignations of: Brandy Noriega – school food service worker at Whigham Elementary School; Brooke Cofer – special ed parapro at Cairo High School; David Parker – bus driver; Zoelly Grullon – para professional at Northside Elementary School; and Aimee Crego – bus driver.

Approved the following transfers: Darius Walden – from head custodian at Southside Elementary School to head custodian at Whigham Elementary School; Terry “Pike” Willis – from custodian at Northside Elementary School to head custodian at Southside Elementary School; Kelli Ponder from purchasing specialist to payroll specialist at the Central Office; and Natalia Snow – from food service worker to cafeteria manager at Whigham Elementary School.

Declared a 1985 Dodge Ram 100 pickup truck and a 1988 Ford F350 pickup as surplus. The board voted in favor of allowing Whigham Elementary School to receive proceeds from the sale of the surplus Dodge to be used to purchase a Gator utility vehicle for the school. According to Dr. Gilliard, the Dodge truck originally belonged to the School Nutrition Program and was declared surplus and sold to Whigham. The 1988 Ford was used by the Maintenance Department and is no longer serviceable.