MOUNT VERNON — Because January is School Board Recognition Month, the Knox County Career Center Board of Education was treated to a gourmet meal before its meeting on Thursday. Hospitality and Facility Care students decorated the board room, and Chef & Catering students prepared a seven-course repast. Students Tricia McDonald, Centerburg; Kyle Olson, Mount Vernon; and James Huggett, Mount Vernon, were the servers and gained practical experience in presentation, serving and clearing.
Reorganizing for 2011, Richard McLarnan was re-elected as president of the board, and will also serve as the legislative liaison. Margie Bennett will assume the dual roles of vice president and student achievement liaison. In addition to granting routine annual authorizations, the board established regular meeting dates for the year. With some exceptions, the meetings will be held in the KCCC board room at 7 p.m. on the third Thursday of the month. Exceptions: Feb. 24 at the Yauger Road facility; April 28; Aug. 18, noon; and Oct. 27.
Superintendent Bernie Pachmayer told the News on Friday that reports from pre-professional mentorship and job training program instructors started off the regular portion of the meeting.
Besides approving routine fiscal actions, the board accepted a $104 donation from the Altrusa Club, $474 from The Community Foundation of Mount Vernon and Knox County and $1,000 from Mary Spadafore. The board, by a 6 to 1 vote, defeated a request for a tax abatement from Smith Hardware Inc. in Bellville, with Mary Jean Theaker casting the lone “aye” vote. Pachmayer said the board did not want to set a precedent in approving an abatement which did not include stipulation that the school would be “held harmless,” which means the school would be reimbursed for the taxes due in spite of the abatement. She said the proposal also did not include an expiration date for the abatement.
In other action, the board approved various personnel actions and field trips, and increased by 70 hours the adult Practical Nursing program requirements. Pachmayer said the additional hours will include medical readiness courses, study skills, basic medical math, basic medical vocabulary, general science information and Internet skills needed for success in the program.
Pachmayer said the February meeting will be preceded at 6 p.m. by an open house at the Yauger Road medical education facility.
