Tara Wix, RN and director of school health for Macon County schools brought a proposal from Upper-Cumberland Health Department before the school board at their meeting on Thursday, Jan. 14. The proposal would allow the health department to use the schools as sites to administer H1N1 vaccines to Macon County Schools students and employees.

“It is all completely their process,” said Wix. “I'm assisting just with the paperwork if it's okay with you guys. They have put together a packet. In the packet is a description of the H1N1 vaccine, and the importance of taking it. Then, the next page is the parental permission slip, and the next two pages is H1N1 info, the vaccination info on the nasal mist and the injection.

“They have brought to me this morning about 3,800 packets already put together for me to distribute to the schools that would go home tomorrow. Ideally, they'd like for these to be back next Friday for all students. It's all voluntary, whoever wants to take it, and they're wanting to come in the last week of January, first of February to start these clinics.

"They're willing to go to every school depending on the demand, we have no expectations of how many might sign up. There might be twenty, there might be 120 from each school. Depending on how many sign up and the demand, they'll go to that school. They're not going to not go to a school if there's not enough. If there's only ten, they're still going to go to that school and give those ten. They might cover two or three schools in one day, it might take them the whole week to get to every school.

"I'm going to work with the principals, and do it when it's best convenient for the schools.

"All of it's free. It's to everybody. The staff, it's to bus drivers, it's to maintenance, it's to anybody in the school system, and I'm assuming for subs. They would have to find a school that they're going to be at. I don't think that they'll come to one location for everybody to come, but we can make a schedule out to where they're going to be, and they [the subs] can go to those schools at any time."

Board member Bill Wilmore expressed concern over the school system's position in the event that a student who receives the shot experiences a reaction to it.

"If a child takes a shot in one of our schools, and something happens to them, who's responsible?" he asked.

"The state is completely liable for everything that they do," replied Wix. "We the nurses in the school system will not be giving any injections. We will assist with assessments and paperwork, but the Department of Health is in charge of all medications. They're offering the nasal mist and the injection. They're thinking that they have enough of the mist to give to all children that qualify for it, so there will be less anxiety."

"Its just the same as if they were to go to the health department. The health department will put these on their records."

Wilmore then asked,“Have you heard of any problems with this shot?”

“No sir," Wix said. "I've had it. I got it the first of December, and my children have had it. I haven't seen or heard of any adverse reactions from taking the injection. And they've been giving it since the latter of September.”

The board carried a motion allowing the health department to use the schools as sites to administer H1N1 vaccinations to students and faculty of Macon County schools. For more information, contact Tara Wix.

Siemens

Representatives from Siemens Corporation presented their plans to make Macon County Schools more energy efficient. The board is considering Siemens as one of two companies to assist them with projects that would save energy in the schools that would in turn save the school system money. The board passed a motion to discuss the issue after they had heard from the second company they are considering, Johnson Controls, at their work session on Feb. 2.

Softball Complex

The board carried a motion to advertise for bids to build the Mark Shrum Memorial Softball Complex at Macon County High School.

Trash Pickup

Director of Schools, Dan Hampton, discussed switching trash pickup providers for the school in Red Boiling Springs from the City of Red Boiling Springs to T.D.S. The Red Boiling Springs City Council has been discussing increasing the rate of their trash pickup, which would change the monthly fee the school pays from $225 per month to $600 per month if passed as originally proposed.

“All of our trash in the district is picked up by T.D.S. except for Red Boiling Springs,” said Hampton. “I talked to David Smith, the manager at T.D.S. Mr. Smith has indicated that he will quote us the same price he picks up the junior high for. They’re comparable in size. We already pay a monthly contract to T.D.S.”

T.D.S. will pick up trash at Red Boiling Springs for $550 for nine months, and they will charge the school a flat rate of $100 for the summer months. This would increase their bill with T.D.S. from about $5,100 annually to about $5,800 annually. The school board would also have to replace the dumpsters at the school because they will not fit the trucks T.D.S. uses.

Athletic Trainer

The board carried a motion to pick up Rachel Hester’s salary for the rest of the year, allowing her to stay on as athletic trainer for the school system. Hester assists the school’s athletes with injuries incurred at practices and games. Macon County Schools had entered into an agreement with University Medical Center where Hester’s salary was split between the school system and UMC; however, UMC has decided to drop the athletic program as of Feb. 28.

RBS Construction Project

After several months of grappling with contractors of a construction project in Red Boiling Springs gym over improperly wired fire doors, the school board will finally be able to close the project out at $12, 405.74.

“That’s all the negotiating I feel like we can do over this,” said Randy Robinson, maintenance supervisor for Macon County Schools.

Other Business

A motion carried to advertise for bids to audit the school funds.

The School Health backpack program was approved.

The punishment for a second offense at MCJHS was raised to seven days of Behavior Intervention (B.I.)

The board passed a motion to approve a bid to install a projector in Macon County High School’s auditorium.