By Martha Jacob – 

The Fayetteville-Perry Board of Education met in regular session for its last meeting of the year, along with a holiday party.
The board got right down to business at its Dec. 21 meeting which marked board member Jim Holden’s final meeting.  The board also accepted a donation of $2,400 from the Fayetteville-Perry PTO for future field trips and a donation of $10,551 from the Fayetteville PTO to be used for the Elementary laptop carts. A donation of $779 was accepted from the Fayetteville Knights of Columbus to use for 11 children pay their school fees and lunches.”The Knights of Columbus have also asked if there is anything else they can do the school out with a project costing around $1,000,” President of the board, Angela Murphy said. “They want to help out our district.”
Board treasurer Joanna Carraher reminded the board that the Knights of Columbus holds fundraisers offering pork tenderloin dinner the first Saturday of every month at Daily Hall, to help raise money for the community. They have been holding the dinners for several months which have been very successful.
Superintendent Jim Brady  asked the board to also accept a donation of $507 from board member Craig Smucker who donated his pay a board member back to the district. The funds will most likely be used for the employee banquet held each year.
Carraher reported that her audit was currently being reviewed by the state and she had received a good report, with no findings. She said the school has been notified that the district would be doing a self-assessed audit for Title I and Special Ed by the end of May.
Brady told the board that the recent Shop With a Cop program was a huge success in the village. He also said he was still hoping a Resource Officer could soon be hired for the school.
Other items discussed included lighting at the middle school, available scholarships that all parents need to be aware of and at least 850 people are signed up for the early text messaging program available through the school, along with phone messaging.
Village resident Lynn Hopkins spoke briefly to the board pleading her case  to be named as a board member filling its vacant seat.
High School Principal  Tim Carlier also spoke at length about the pros and cons of the ‘Rocket Academy which could keep more money, as well as students within the district.