Boards OKs Funds To Increase CCHS Parking

Funding to significantly increase the number of parking spaces at Cannon County High School was approved Thursday night by the Cannon County Board of Education.

The board approved spending $6,000 to go toward the creation of approximately 125 new parking spaces at the school. The total cost of the project is estimated to be around $9,000. CCHS principal Tim Knox said the school has set aside $3,000 for the work, and added that the county and local businesses are also making contributions.

It is hoped the work can begin next week. The school currently has 230 available spaces.

"We have 400 possible (student) drivers, and we want every students who wants to drive to be able to," Knox said. Knox said the additional parking will also help with special events, such as athletic contests and graduation.

Also Thursday, the board considered an emergency request from Woodland Elementary Principal Kim Parsley, presented in the form of a letter.

In the letter, Parsley asked the board to allow the Cannon County Highway Dept. to add a gravel semicircle drive to connect to the current drive on the south side of the school.

"(Road Superintendent) Wayne Hancock has looked at the proposed project and has said that it will cost the board $2,732.40 to complete," Parsley wrote.

Parsley also wrote, "This addition will allow parents space to get off Hwy. 53 S. during parent pick-up. This has been a long-standing problem at Woodland. The new parent pick-up routine that we have established has eliminated the confusion at the main entrance where busses load and allows more supervision of students who are waiting to be picked up. The addition of this drive will insure that parents who are waiting in line are safely off the state highway."

The board approved spending $1,000 toward the building of the semi-circle drive. The rest of the money will come from the school and school support organizations.

Director of Schools Barbara Parker welcomed new teachers to the system for the 2009-2010 school year. They include Ashley Crosslin, Woodland; Eddie Cunningham, Matthew Cagle, T.J. Daniel, Susanne Hebden, Joel Schrenk, Daniel Jones and Robert Guffey, all CCHS; Paula Kyne, Woodbury Grammar; Deborah Parks, Auburn; Lynsey Nixon, Short Mountain; Joshua Odom, West Side and Ana Bailey, Short Mountain and East Side.

By consent, the board also:

• Approved a 5th year senior student at CCHS to have a part-time schedule (3 classes) for the 2009-2010 school year.

• Approved non-faculty coaches at CCHS: Lana Spry for girls basketball and Chad Thomas for boys basketball.

• Approved the 6th period weightlifting class for the 2009-2010 school year at CCHS.

• Approved Criteria and guidelines for early promotion to high school

• Declared 250 replaced, obsolete computers as surplus.