For Additional Headlines - go to our News Section »

• ABT Arrests 125 on the First Night of Spring Break Enforcement
  made by Truth or Consequences
• Farmers Face EPA Regulations
  made by gator
• ABT Arrests 125 on the First Night of Spring Break Enforcement
  made by gator
• ABT Arrests 125 on the First Night of Spring Break Enforcement
  made by Truth or Consequences
• Farmers Face EPA Regulations
  made by Mischief

• Plane Crashes into Gulf Near Walton County
• Inmate Beaten at Graceville Correctional Facility Dies
• Surgeon’s Wife Arrested for Drugs
• Pedestrian Hit in Lynn Haven
• Student in Bus Crash Dies
• Department of Health urges Floridians to be Aware of Gastrointestinal Illnesses
• Bay County Man Arrested on Multiple Drug Charges
• Injuries in Gadsden County School Bus Crash
• New Bill Gets Teachers Fired Up
• Injured Pedestrian Identified

School Board Meeting: TB Concerns, Grant for New Horizons, and Principal Announces Retirement
12/09/09 - 10:09 PM

 RSS Feed

Tuberculosis Exposure Concerns

The Bay County Health Department and Bay District School Board say the tuberculosis exposure at a high school is under control, but some parents say otherwise.

A parent at Wednesday’s meeting says that not enough was done to inform parents and protect students from the sickness. But the school board stands by their words that everything was done that could be done to protect students from the still-unidentified person at Arnold High School who was reported as infected.

In a heated debate with Bay District Superintendent Bill Husfelt, Glenda Vernon, the parent of an Arnold High School senior, says that not enough was done to protect her son, and now he’s suffering for it.

“My son lost his job… because he tested positive for tuberculosis,” Vernon says. “He’s going to fail co-op.”

Vernon says her son was not one of the students who was initially named as “high risk” and tested. She says he was tested separately later and found out this morning that his test is positive.

“In my opinion and this is as a parent… have every single child tested,” Vernon advised the school board.

Superintendent Husfelt says they followed protocol outlined by the Health Department and deferred her question to them.

News 13 took that question to Health Department Acting Director Dr. Dennis Cookro, who said, “The students that had any significant exposure, we did test or intend to test all of those.”

Dr. Cookro says there’s no more chance that there’s an active contagious case at Arnold High School than there is at any high school, and that parents should not be alarmed if their child’s test was positive.

New Horizons Grant

Bay District Schools also receives a grant for $48,000 dollars.

The money from AT&T Incorporated will go to New Horizons Learning Center in Panama City.

New Horizons serves at-risk middle and high school students with behavior disorders and students who have been expelled.

The funds will be used to purchase materials to remediate basic math and reading skills and will support the Fast Math computer-based math program.

Principal Announces Retirement

And a Bay District principal announces his retirement.

Superintendent Husfelt says that Mackie Ownes, Bay High School Principal, has announced his retirement.

Owens took over as principal of Bay High in July of 2007. He previously taught for 19 years, then served as Assistant Principal for 14 years at Bay High School, and for one year at Mosley High School.

The school board also approved the 2010-2011 School Calendar and start date. To see that story, click here.