Cleburne BOE approves supplemental pay

Nearly 500 Cleburne County student athletes will return to practicing their sport after the school board voted in favor of supplemental pay Friday morning.

Student-athletes will likely lose up to a week of practice after the Board of Education failed to approve supplemental pay for coaches and band directors.Without that vote, no liability insurance for employees meant no practice for students.

Students returned to their various sports after the Cleburne County Board vote approving supplement pay. The board voted 3-2 to approve the supplemental pay, with one abstention during a 30-minute meeting.  Michael Shortt, the coach and athletic director at Cleburne County High School, said he'll help his players get ready for the season despite missing four days of practice.  The school board president abstained from voting. He said combining the jobs and supplement pay for the head coaches and athletic director may influence favoritism. The board may seek to separate those jobs and pay next year.