BY PHILL BARNETT
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

INEZ — The Martin County Board of Education met Monday in the district central office to conduct routine business, spotlight exceptional student achievement, and discuss the district’s RTI program.

The district employs three Response to Intervention (RTI) teachers, one at each elementary school. Each year, the board votes on whether to continue the program in the fall. The board discussed the progress made by the program and ultimately voted to continue the program.

Superintendent Larry James recognized Morgan Dove for winning the AARP Grandparent of the Year Essay Contest for the district. The essay contest, administered and judged by the Retired Teachers Association, is open to 5th-grade students enrolled in public schools. Dove’s essay will now move on to the final round of the contest at the state level. The statewide winner will be selected and invited to the KRTA’s annual convention later this month.

The BOE voted to solicit bids for property insurance for the year.

The board accepted the lower of two bids for grass cutting and game preparation of the baseball and softball fields from a local grass cutter and musician named Ian Webb.

While discussing bidding for the Martin County High School Solar Project, Superintendent James reminded the board of a contractor who did not get the opportunity to bid earlier in the year but is working with the board to vet their company. The board voted to rebid the project to allow the contractor to make their bid.

White & Associates of Richmond was the only contractor to enter a bid to conduct the district’s annual audit. The financial services firm has conducted the district’s audit in the past.

“It’s getting harder to get auditors to do public auditing,” financial officer Earnest Hale told the board. “Especially for schools.”

Hale nonetheless recommended the board accept the bid, which they did before adjourning the brief meeting.