Commissioners proclaim April 12-18 as 'Week of the Young Child'
By Rory Ryan
The Highland County Press
Highland County Commissioners Shane Wilkin, Tom Horst and Jeff Duncan presented a proclamation to Highland County Head Start during their Wednesday, April 8 board meeting.
Commissioners proclaimed April 12-18 as the Week of the Young Child in Highland County. Head Start Director Valerie Williams, along with Kristi Frost, Ronna Achor, Sarah Covert, Brandy West and Linda Lakes, accepted the proclamation.
Highland County Community Action Organization operates two centers in the county as a part of the Head Start program. Currently, there are 207 children enrolled in the Head Start Program. Another 72 are enrolled in Early Head Start, Williams said.
The center managers at these sites are Williams in Hillsboro and Sue Leaverton in Greenfield.
Head Start promotes the school readiness of young children from low-income families through agencies in their local community. Head Start and Early Head Start programs support the mental, social, and emotional development of children from birth to age 5. In addition to education services, programs provide children and their families with health, nutrition, social, and other services. Head Start services are responsive to each child and family's ethnic, cultural, and linguistic heritage.
Head Start was founded as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson administration in 1965. Since then, Head Start has grown from an eight-week demonstration project to include full day/year services and numerous program options. Head Start has served over 30 million children and their families in urban and rural areas in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. territories.
For more information about Head Start, go to: http://hccao.org/head-start/head-start-centers.
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• In other business, commissioners said a new three-year contract has been agreed upon with deputies and other personnel from the Highland County Sheriff's Office. Commissioners met in an executive session on the negotiations at their April 1 board meeting.
Terms of the new contract include: Effective Jan. 1, 2015, rates of pay for bargaining unit employees shall increase by two percent and shall be as follows:
* Sergeants: 0-12 months, $19.96 hourly, $41,516.80 annually; over 12 months, $20.59 hourly, $42,827.20 annually.
* Road Deputy: 0-6 months, $17.01 hourly, $35,380.80 annually; 7-12 months, $17.29 hourly, $35,963.20 annually; 13-23 months, $17.59 hourly, $36,587.20 annually; 24-36 months, $18.10 hourly, $37,648 annually; over 36 months, $18.61 hourly, $38,708.80 annually.
* Corrections and Dispatchers: 0-6 months, $14.72 hourly, $30,617.60 annually; 7-12 months, $15.52 hourly, $32,281.60 annually; 13-23 months, $16.02 hourly, $33,321.60 annually; 24-36 months, $16.57 hourly, $34,465.60 annually; over 36 months, $17.01 hourly, $35,380.80 annually.
* Dispatch Corporal and Corrections Corporal: 0-12 months, $17.94 hourly, $37, 315.20 annually; over 12 months, $18.61 hourly, $38,708.80 annually.
In lieu of calculating back pay, each employee will receive a $150 one-time bonus for 2015, payable the first payroll after the agreement is ratified by the parties.
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• Commissioners met with Mark Current and Rhonda Kidder of Highland County Community Action Organization, Inc. for the second public hearing on the CHIP grant.
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Resolutions
Commissioners passed the following resolutions, each by a 3-0 vote:
* A request from the Board of Elections for additional appropriation to Board of Elections, Travel Board account in the amount of $349.58.
* A request from the Highland County Sheriff for additional appropriation to Sheriff Budget, Employee Salaries in the amount of $5,286.
* A request by the EMA for a transfer of funds from County Miscellaneous, Transfers Out to Emergency Management Agency in the amount of $25,000.