HALL COUNTY - At its meeting Monday night, the Hall County School Board announced the official hiring of Lindsey Chatham as the new principal at Chicopee Woods Elementary School, 11 days before students report for the first day of school.<br />
<br />
Dr. Brad Brown, Executive Director of Human Resources for the school system, headed the search committee that found Chatham.<br />
<br />
"We had over 50 applications. We selected six for interviews," said Brown. "We believe that [Chatham] has the best skill set that Chicopee will need."<br />
<br />
Chatham is a 1997 graduate of the University of Georgia, and most recently served as principal at Mt. Ulla Elementary School in North Carolina, according to a press release.<br />
<br />
SCHOOL BOARD WORKS UNDER BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2014<br />
<br />
Also at the meeting, the board announced that it operated 2.26% under the fiscal year 2014 budget.<br />
<br />
"The reason that's so important is that it allows us to increase teachers' salaries for next year," said Hall County Schools Superintendent Will Schofield.<br />
<br />
The school system used 97.24% of its proposed expenditures.<br />
<br />
In other monetary matters, the board announced that school lunches for the upcoming 2014-2015 school year will remain the same.<br />
<br />
"Based on the fact it ended in good standing this year, we are able to keep student lunch and breakfast prices the same, which is a good sign," said Schofield, who added that the food services budget is independent of the general fund budget.<br />
<br />
SCHOOL BOARD APPROVES INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AGREEMENT<br />
<br />
The school board approved an agreement with the University Federal de Sao Joao del-Rei in Brazil as part of an international studies initiative.<br />
<br />
The agreement would send a teacher from the Brazilian school to intern as a teacher in Hall County for six months.<br />
<br />
There is already a German intern teacher in the system.<br />
<br />
The motion was approved unanimously.<br />
<br />
BAND TRIP APPROVED<br />
<br />
The school board also gave official approval for the West Hall High School marching band to travel to Gatlinburg, Tennessee in December to march in the annual Fantasy of Lights Parade.<br />
<br />
The band will be taking charter buses for the overnight trip.
