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6A WISE COUNTY MESSENGER, Decatur, Texas, Wednesday, February 22, 2012PARADISEAdministrator contracts approvedBy ERIKA PEDROZAThe Paradise School Boardapproved contract extensionsfor eight administratorsat Monday night’s meeting.Trustees tacked an additionalyear to the contractsof Assistant SuperintendentPatti Seckman, principalsMac Edwards, Mark Mathis,Terry McCutchen and StacieMeadows, High School AssistantPrincipal Greg Fletcher,Assessment Director Joyceardy and Athletic Directoranny Neighbors.With the exception ofeighbors, the vote wasnanimous. Trustees voted-2 for Neighbors with LonieHolder and Scott Eisenpposing.The vote came after a90-minute executive session.The board also approvedtwo calendar options for the2012-2013 school year. SuperintendentMonty Chapmansaid school officials devisedtwo options accordingto state parameters — notbeginning school before thefourth Monday of August,180 instruction days withthe exception of professionaldevelopment waivers, sevenprofessional developmentdays and two bad weatherdays — and preferences expressedthrough campuscommittees.The committees requesteda two-week, three-weekendwinter break, one-weekThanksgiving holiday, a staffdevelopment day at the endof each six weeks for planning,ending the school yearbefore Memorial Day andending the first semester beforeChristmas.“From Aug. 27 to Christmasbreak ... there is no wayto make that happen really,”Chapman said. “There wouldbe three, five-week (gradingperiods) in the first semesterand three, seven-weekperiods in the second. Thatdoesn’t really make sense sowe didn’t honor that (last request)when developing thecalendar options.”The following two optionswill be posted on the school’swebsite for community input.Calendar A:■ First day of school —Tuesday, Aug. 28■ Labor Day holiday —Monday, Sept. 3■ Thanksgiving break —Nov. 19-23■ Winter break — MondayDec. 24 to Monday,Jan. 7 (classes resumeTuesday, Jan. 8)■ Spring break — March11-15■ Bad weather days — Fridays,March 29, and May 10■ Memorial Day holiday— Monday, May 27■ Last day of school —Thursday, June 6Calendar B:■ First day of school —Monday, Aug. 27■ Labor Day holiday —Monday, Sept. 3■ Thanksgiving break —Nov. 19-23■ Winter break — MondayDec. 24 to Monday,Jan. 2 (classes resumeTuesday, Jan. 3)■ Spring break — March11-15■ Bad weather days —Fridays, March 29, and May10■ Memorial Day holiday— Monday, May 27■ Last day of school —Friday, May 31In other news, the board:■ moved the school boardelection to the fall. Accordingto Texas Education Code,school boards must havejoint elections. In January,the city of Paradise voted tomove their election to November.With no other politicalsubdivision to join, theboard was forced to move itselection also.■ approved a budgetamendment transferring$200,000 from the fund balanceto the capital improvementsbudget for the purchaseof 10.2 acres east andsouth of the high school for$250,000. “We can cover therest with the budget alreadyapproved,” Chapman said.He hopes to close before theend of the month.■ revised policy on drugtesting for students in all extracurricularactivities, notjust athletics, and on rentalguidelines of district facilitiesallowing for-profit use.■Email Erika at epedroza@wcmessenger.com.By DAVE ROGERSFormer Bridgeport HighSchool principal Tom Talleyregistered this week to runfor the school board inhis hometown.Talley, who wasprincipal at Bridgeportfor eight yearsand an educator for42 years before retiringin 2009, is runningin Place 1 in theMay 12 election. Noopponent has signed up torun against him, althoughDr. Brian Carpenter is theincumbent for that seat.Carpenter, recently appointedto the State Board ofPodiatric Medicine, was notat Monday’s school boardmeeting. He said Tuesdayhe does not plan to run forre-election.Residents of the district’sboundaries have untilMarch 5 to register to run.In all, three school boardseats will be up for grabs inBridgeport, and, as of Mondaynight, each had one announcedcandidate.Incumbents CharlesMauldin and Sue Ray areBRIDGEPORTFormer principal to run for boardseeking re-election in Places2 and 3, respectively.Talley was athletic directorfor 17 years at Brownsborobefore coming toBridgeport. He saidgoing from campusleadership to districtleadership was anatural.“It’s something Istarted thinking ofas soon as I retired,”TALLEY he said. “I love theschool district. It’soutstanding. It has excellentteachers, excellent administratorsand some ofthe best students I’ve everbeen around in more than40 years in education. Ithink that’s a reflection ofthe community.“I think we’ve got a very,very good school board. Ithink with my backgroundin education, I can contribute.”Ray, a registered nurseand administrator of Bridgeport’sVeterans AdministrationClinic and FamilyClinic, will be running forher second full, three-yearterm, but she has five years’experience on the board afterstepping in to fill an unexpiredterm in 2007.“There’s a lot to learn andcoming in raw was tough,”she recalled. “Sometimes it’sgood that there’s not a lot ofturnover [on the board], becauseit takes two or threeyears to learn everythingyou need to know.”Mauldin, a pharmacist,is wrapping up his 24thyear on the school boardbut doesn’t have seniorityin Bridgeport; that goes toBoard President Jim Bost,who has 28 years experience.“To help the students,that’s the bottom line,”Mauldin said. “That’s whyI got on the board howevermany years ago.”Ray says she feels theknowledge she has gained isneeded.“The biggest thing rightnow is budget and keepingour heads above water withall the [state funding] cuts,”she said. “We have to try tomake it work without havingto fire teachers.”■Email Dave at drogers@wcmessenger.com.HEALTH CENTER OPEN FOR BUSINESS — TheWise County Community Health Center is nowopen for patients. The phone number is (940)393-0100. Hours are Monday through Friday 8a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. The fax number isexpected to be operational in a a few days. Itwill be (940) 393-0199. The center is locatedon the north side of the West Campus at WiseRegional Health System. It will accept allpatients and offer a sliding scale for uninsuredor low income patients and accepts privateinsurance, Medicaid and Medicare.ADMINISTRATOR CONTRACTS EXTENDED —The Decatur School Board last week extendedthe contracts of administrators, including allfive principals and the athletic director.BENEFIT POKER TOURNAMENT — A pokertournament benefiting Paradise YouthRecreation Association is 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb.25, at Pizookies in Paradise. The tournamentfeatures a $30 buy-in and rebuy until 10 p.m.Food and drinks will be sold. To sign up, callTodd at (817) 504-3325.NEWS BRIEFSGT NOMINATIONS — The Slidell Gifted andTalented program will be accepting nominationsthrough Friday, March 2. Nomination forms willbe available in the elementary and secondarycampus offices. For more information, callMelissa Fitzgerald at (940) 466-3118, ext.241.DUMPS CLOSED — Boyd, Chico, andCottondale dump sites will be closedWednesday, Feb. 22. The Decatur dump sitewill be open Wednesday.YOUTH FAIR SCHOLARSHIP — Applications forthe Wise County Youth Fair scholarship mustbe postmarked by Friday, Feb. 24. A total of 12$1,000 scholarships will be awarded, with atleast one going to a senior in each community.Applicants must have participated in the YouthFair during their high school years. For moreinformation, call Scholarship Chairman JamesHubbard at (940) 389-5735 or (940) 627-6294. Applications can be downloaded fromthe Youth Fair website, www.wcyouthfair.org.READ MORE BRIEFS ONLINE AT WCMESSENGER.COMFREE 7-PC. 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