School board members recently received a presentation from the Center for Prevention Services regarding the implementation of a survey designed to gauge students’ attitudes and use of illegal drugs of various ages from sixth-grade to seniors in high school.

Angela Allen, executive director of CPS, introduced consultants Dr. Drew Reynold and Dr. Keri Revens to make the presentation.

The surveys, which will be completely voluntary and anonymous, will ask students in sixth-, eighth-, 10th- and 12th-grades if they use drugs or see other use.

Funding for the survey will come from a federal grant of $267,000 over five years, according to Allen.

Newly re-elected chairman Melvin Poole asked what the margin of error is for the surveys. Reynolds said it should be less than 3 percent.

Board member Glenda Gibson asked about the terminology of the survey. Allen said they are looking at doing the survey spring 2020 and students would be through their curriculum and should have touched on many of the subjects.

“Questions are directed more to what they have tried,” Allen said.

Superintendent Dr. Jeff James suggested the board read the sample survey from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to possibly approve at a future time.

Gibson said to the board other staff members and people should read the survey before the board votes on it.

Board member Anthony Graves said he wanted to have the survey ready for a vote before the next planned board meeting. James agreed to be a liaison between the time period.

Vice chairman Ryan McIntyre said he was more concerned with the process of how parents can opt out or opt in. Allen said not all papers sent out to parents come back.

”If you get too many cooks it spoils the stew,” Poole said about concerns with getting too much input for possibly making changes to the survey.

No action was taken on the surveys.

In other business, Poole was re-elected as chairman unanimously while McIntyre was also re-elected as vice chairman with a vote of 4-3 over Vicky Watson. McIntyre voted for himself as vice chairman along with Poole, Graves and Patty Crump, while Watson voted for herself along with Gibson and Jeff Chance.

The board also approved the 2020-2021 school calendar by a vote of 6-1, with McIntyre as the dissenting vote.

Members of the Central Elementary School Glee Club performed for the board along with several honors being presented. A number of parent-teacher organization presidents were honored along with teachers having their national certifications renewed.

The board and members of the audience also honored West Stanly bus driver Mark Williams for his efforts taking care of students while injured during a recent bus accident.

After a closed session meeting, the board returned to pass recommendations by the superintendent approved by the personnel and finance committees to save money by combining job duties at the central office along with staffing company ESS administering the schools’ custodian services.

In his public comments, James assured custodians they were not losing their jobs but were being offered the chance to continue to work for SCS or retire and work for ESS.