The Winn Parish School Board, in committee session Monday, voiced opinions on surplus properties, staffing policies and Saturday’s tax election results and requested Supt. Alfred Simmons to draw up proposals in time for their regular meeting May 6.

Simmons told members that discussion had been launched with the Village of Atlanta and the City of Winnfield for potential donation of the Atlanta High and Winnfield Kindergarten schools respectively.  President Joe Lynn Browning objected that they should at least try to sell the properties before giving them away.  Simmons reported that the legislature sets out a three-phase adverting process for public bodies, agreeing to begin that bid paperwork.

Looking ahead to the new school year this fall, Joe Llaine Long pointed out that neighboring districts are already advertising for positions on Facebook and their websites.  In discussion of hiring practices, Browning said the system should have a policy to advertise for any post higher than a 9-month employee.  Simmons responded that they are currently following 2012 state legislative guidelines but said he would be happy to put something together for the current board now to adopt.  Again the superintendent was asked to bring that to the board’s regular meeting next Monday.

The superintendent followed up on a memo sent to board and school employees following Saturday’s election results, saying he was “extremely pleased.  I feel it’s a vote of confidence in what you’re doing.  The Winn Parish School system thanks the voters of Winn for their approval of the 9.25-mill in-lieu tax and to the voters of Consolidated No. 11 School District for their approval of the bond issue for Dodson High School.

“We hope to reward this support with continued good stewardship of the fiscal resources and through the academic success of the children who are daily entrusted to our care.”  He called a strong relationship between the system, the community and its organizations “vital to the prosperity and growth” of Winn.