City school system delays employee contracts

GAINESVILLE - The Gainesville School System is delaying action on employee contracts for the coming school year by two months.

Superintendent Dr. Merrianne Dyer said Tuesday night contracts will go out in April as opposed to this month due to the uncertain economic times. Dr. Dyer said she hopes that valued employees will wait out the hard times.

Also Tuesday night, the school board approved by a 4-1 vote adding twelve non-employee children to the school system daycare program. The board had already agreed to changes in the program which has previously been limited to only children of employees of the school system.

The board approved the doctoral research project and the pre-k program.

Earlier in the session, before a standng-room-only crowd, the board recognized a number of school system outstanding achievers.

Awards went to seven teachers who are the 2008-2009 Teachers of the Year for the system, the Arbor Day art contest runner-up, Georgia All-State band winners, and the Gainesville Middle School boys' basketball team, this year's Hall County champions.

The All-State band winners will be performing in Savannah the first week of March.