School Board Approves CARE Contract for Cottondale Elementary

By: Shelia Mader

At their July meeting, the Jackson County School Board approved the continuation of its contract with CARE (Chemical Addictions Recovery Effort) through the ALPHA program, but only at Cottondale Elementary School, drawing concern from one board member about the lack of similar support at Marianna K-8.

Board member Chephus Granberry raised the issue during the meeting, referencing previous services at Marianna K-8 and the absence of CARE there this year. “I wasn’t here Thursday, but I did listen to it, thanks to the Jackson County Times,” Granberry said. “The CARE contract, that’s only at Cottondale. Help me figure out why.”

Superintendent Hunter Nolen responded by turning to district staff for clarification. Michael Kilts explained that “Mrs. Larkin didn’t want to renew that contract, so she just didn't want it out.” Nolen added that Cottondale Elementary may not be incurring the same kind of service charges, noting, “I don’t want to say a charge, that’s not the right word, but there was some type of service charge.”

Another district staff member noted that CARE has reduced its capacity over the years due to downsizing, saying, “They’ve actually had to downsize over the years their program itself, and that one school is all that it can accommodate.” The CARE program had previously operated at Marianna K-8, but due to limited staffing and resources, the organization opted to continue only at Cottondale, where the program has longstanding roots.

Granberry voiced concern that Marianna K-8 students were being left without support. “I guess the reason I asked the question is because Marianna K8, the kindergartners that are jumping on children or jumping on teachers, they were actually using the services there. It would be beneficial,” he said. “I did have some interactions with families that were benefiting from that program.”

Granberry acknowledged the longstanding connection CARE has with Cottondale but emphasized that Marianna K8 has a much larger student population that could also benefit from the behavioral and support services offered by CARE. He suggested that if financial constraints are the barrier, the district should look into whether continued service at Marianna K8 could be arranged at no additional cost.

In response, Superintendent Nolen promised to investigate further: “I’ll try to get an update financially and see what is provided and not provided and give an update Monday during our special session.”

The Board ultimately approved the CARE contract for Cottondale with a unanimous 5-0 vote but left the door open for future discussions about extending the program’s reach back to Marianna K-8.