Down East Partnership for Children Executive Director Henrietta Zalkind and coordinator Patti Allen divvied up award checks Monday totaling more than $35,000 among representatives of G.W. Bulluck, G.W. Carver and Stocks Elementary schools for completing a High Scope Ready School Assessment (RSA) and effectively meeting the nine Pathways to a Ready Elementary School, as defined by the State Board of Education.

"No matter how much we work to ensure children and parents are ready (for student entry to kindergarten), we need to make sure that schools have what they need to educate every child that comes through their doors – regardless of developmental level," Zalkind said."For this (completing the RSA), you’ve stepped up as leaders ... and should be commended for it."

Coker-Wimberly and Princeville Montessori elementary schools also received praise for their pursuit of Ready School status. Both are presently in the evaluation phase to see if they meet High Scope Ready School standards.

Harris, a kindergarten instructor at Stocks Elementary and one of 36 teachers in N.C. classified as a "teacher leader" in the Ready Schools program, explained how a forum of early childhood teachers recorded "their concerns about issues in kindergarten" on a lengthy strip of butcher paper that ended up "streaming all over the classroom." That document became fodder for a position paper entitled The Power of K; a statement of what kindergartners of the 21st century need to effectively develop as students and persons.

Part of Harris' pitch included an alignment of expectations with infrastructure investment. Expecting "best practices to take place" with inflated classroom sizes "of 23 students per (kindergarten) classroom without the support" a full time teacher assistant would provide is something that isn't a realistic outcome.

ECPS Finance Officer Laura Leary submitted a proposed timetable for generating the 2007-08 school budget.

"It is very detailed and appropriate for our system," Wilson said.

The 23-year school district veteran also inquired about the level of budgeting readiness would exist for a proposed meeting with county Board of Commissioners in February.

Leary advised that annual state allotments take place around Valentine's Day, which may leave the budget partly incomplete when ECPS sits down with the commissioners.

Although it was mentioned that February's assembly was possibly a walkthrough of newly upgraded school facilities, Wilson recommended a proactive stance in "making sure to state our financial concerns – early." When asked to elaborate, her wry response was "it's wise to get there before the commissioners are bombarded by other departments."

VanderLinden reviewed new charter bus safety procedures, including a time-effective "clearing house" of companies approved by the N.C. Motor Coach Association, without compromising safety.

"This will be quicker ... but we (Transportation Director Tommy Hudson and VanderLinden) will still be there to inspect everything on the day of travel," she said.

The move would remove inefficient communications between the district's Transportation Department and the school board, by allowing operations personnel to chose from a menu of acceptable charter carriers.

Wilson attributed past pressure from a community who, for a long time "was not in favor" of changing tobacco-related policies for delaying until now to make Edgecombe schools a tobacco-free environment. A start date for the new guideline is July 1.

In closed session, board members completed the performance evaluation and goals for Witherspoon.