The Board of Trustees:

• Approved minutes of previous meeting.
• Heard a report on district building projects.
• Transferred interest earnings in the amount of $15,608.80 from Sixteenth Section Funds to the District Maintenance Fund.
• Approved the Claims Docket for payment of accounts.
• Acknowledged the report on bus repairs/expenses and the monthly report on the use of school buses for special events.
• Approved requests to discard the following unusable equipment: standing fan, tag #1709; walk-in freezer, tag #1117; walk-in refrigerator, tag #1118; storage lockers, tag #1687; calculator, tag #2442; table, tag #264; food processor, tag #267; fire suppression system, tag #270; steam table, tag #2772; mixer, tag #278; fryer, tag #280; and dishwasher, tag #443.
• Approved requests to travel out-of-state.
• Gave second approval to amend the Columbia High School handbook changing the National Honor Society Policy.
• Approved a request from Principal Raymond Powell for the JMS Cheerleaders to conduct fundraisers (garage sale, car wash, and sell candy).
• Accepted a cash donation in the amount of $668.75 from the Columbia High School Dugout Club to go towards the purchase of a mower.
• Adopted a resolution of appreciation and dedication to dedicate the newly renovated Columbia High School building and related facilities.
• Accepted a bid from C & S Fencing for fencing at Gardner Stadium and Columbia Primary School, 2-3.
• Authorized the purchase of a subscription for the Basic Key Administrator Service-Single User web site from The Center of Special Education Services.
• Approved amendments to the FY01 Budget.
• Expelled four students from Columbia schools and placed six students in the District's Alternative Program.
• Approved the employment of Misti Stampley as a fifth grade teacher at CES, pending certification; Kei Irvin and Christy Spencer as substitute teachers; and Iva Daniels as a substitute cafeteria worker for the remainder of the 2000-01 school year.
• Accepted an employment resignation from Herbert Otis, Jr., janitor at CHS.
• Was informed of district property insurance coverage, a letter of notification of new graduation requirements, minutes of administrative staff meetings, and the NSBA's 61^st Annual Conference.
• Gave first approval of the Fair Labor Standards Policy and deletion of the Overtime Compensation Policy (GCRD).
• Received the monthly financial status report.
• Accepted a cash donation in the amount of $500.00 from the Class of 1945 towards the purchase of a new marquee at Columbia High School.
• Discussed a confidential personnel matter in executive session.

On September 15, 2000, the State Board of Education passed policy IHF-1, a change to graduation requirements. The policy revisions will impact students who began the 9^th grade in school year 1999-2000 or later. A summary of the new policy is printed below in bold type.

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that the Columbia School District is in compliance with the requirement of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), 29 U.S.C. 201 et seq.

Certain employees are exempt from coverage of the FLSA and are not subject to compensation for overtime work. Exempt employees include executive, administrative and professional employees. Examples include, but are not limited to, certified employees such as teachers, counselors, supervisors and administrators. Certain non-certified administrators are also exempt and include business managers, transportation directors, maintenance directors and other similar administrative and supervisory positions. The Superintendent shall seek advice from the school board attorney if there is a question whether a position is exempt.

Employees in the job classification listed below are generally considered to be non-exempt and are covered by the FLSA unless a specific exception exists. In those instances the reasons for the exempt status will be specifically outlined.

Secretaries Bookkeepers

Clerks Mechanics

Janitors Cafeteria Personnel

Assistant Teachers Substitute Teachers

Bus Drivers Maintenance Personnel

Security Data Entry Operators

In some instances employees may perform dual jobs for the District, such as bus driver/maintenance worker. If duties of the two jobs require the employee to work overtime, the amount due will be calculated using the method described below under OVERTIME PAY.

No employment relationship is created between student teachers or students and the District due to the circumstances surrounding their activities.

No employment relationship is created between the District and individuals who volunteer and donate their services to the District as a public service without contemplation of pay.

The hiring of off-duty policemen or deputies on a part time basis by the District for crowd control or for security purposes does not create a joint employment relationship between the District and the city or county with which the policemen or deputies are employed. The District is separate and distinct and acts entirely independent of other governmental entities.

The work week for the Columbia School District begins on Sunday and ends on Saturday. Each employee subject to the FLSA shall be paid for all hours worked. Compensable time includes all time that employee is required to be on duty. Coffee breaks, waiting time and meal periods, which are frequently interrupted by calls on duty, are hours worked and are compensable.

Hours worked shall be accurately recorded by each employee on the monthly or weekly time sheet in the form which is provided by the District. Employees using time sheets shall furnish all information requested and shall record the exact time of arrival and departure from work. Employees are expected to arrive and depart at the time specified by his/her supervisor unless requested to work overtime by his/her immediate supervisor. All overtime shall be recorded by each employee on the time sheet or time card.

No overtime shall be worked without prior written permission by the employee's immediate supervisor. In the event of emergencies requiring work in excess of 40 hours in a work week, the employee shall inform his/her supervisor as soon as practicable regarding the overtime worked.

Although not required by the FSLA, employees should be allowed coffee breaks of no more than 15 minutes when appropriate. The time of day for breaks and their length shall be determined by each employee's immediate supervisor.

Meal periods for some employees shall be counted as hours worked since they are frequently interrupted by calls to duty and therefore are compensable. Those employees with bona fide meal periods of 30 minutes or more shall be completely relieved of duty for the purpose of eating a regular meal and shall not be required to perform any work during that meal period.

All employees subject to the FLSA shall be paid not less than the current minimum wage.

It is the policy of the District that compensation for overtime work will be paid in the form of compensatory time off. Compensatory time shall be awarded on the basis of 1 1/2 hour for each hour of overtime worked. An employee will not be permitted to accumulate compensatory time. Employees must take the compensatory time during or immediately following the work week in which it was earned and at a time agreeable with his/her supervisor. However, the supervisor's consent shall not be unreasonably withheld.

In the event the District decides to pay for overtime work in the form of monetary remuneration, the employee shall be paid not less than 1 1/2 times his/her regular rate of pay for all hours worked over 40 hours in a work week. Overtime pay due an employee shall be computed on the basis of hours worked in each workweek.

For employees paid on an hourly rate, the overtime will be based on that hourly rate. For employees paid on a salaried basis, the monthly salary will be reduced to its weekly hourly rate, from which overtime compensation will be calculated. Employees shall be paid for each and every hour worked. For those employees working two or more jobs for the District, overtime pay shall be calculated on the basis of a blended hourly rate on all jobs worked calculated by dividing the total amount of remuneration received in a work week by the total hours worked in that work week. The employee shall be paid one-half of the blended hourly rate times the number of hours worked over 40.

Supervisors may adjust schedules within a workweek to prevent the necessity of an employee working more than 40 hours in that work week.

The Superintendent shall require all records on wages, hours and other items to be maintained in accordance with the FLSA. Wage and Hour posters shall be displayed at each District worksite.

District shall, at all times, cooperate with authorized representatives of the Department of Labor who may visit a work site. If an employee believes he/she has not been paid in accordance with the FLSA, the employee shall notify his/her supervisor and the Superintendent. Employees who believe they have not been paid in accordance with the FLSA may file a complaint with the United States Department of Labor. The District shall not retaliate in any manner whatsoever against an employee for the filing of such complaints.

District employees responsible for supervising employees subject to the FLSA who willfully violate the terms of this policy shall be subject to disciplinary action by the District. Any disciplinary action taken by the District will be in addition to any relief granted an employee by the U.S. Department of Labor or a court of law.

LEGAL REF.: Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), 20 U.S.C. 201 et seq.

CROSS REF.: Policy GCD - Classified Personnel Hiring

Mary Edwards, November 23

Steve Harmon, November 30

Donna Rackley, November 18

Phelix Shoemaker, November 27

Tami West, November 22

Sherry Buckley, November 18

Angie Burkett, November 17

Loren Monk, November 25

Shelley Putnam, November 15

Chandra Russell, November 16

Gail Stephens, November 19

Renee Ware, November 14

Gwen Breakfield, November 28

Paulette Beasley, November 12

Pauline Carson, November 3

Lovalyn James, November 28

Deanna Sitton, November 24

Jonell Conerly, November 3

Sherry Crawford, November 22