By Angie Thompson

angie.thompson@gaflnews.com

TIFTON — If the Tift County Board of Education approves, employees of the system will be able to have YMCA dues deducted from their paychecks and the system will save $18,000 in swim team expenses.

“It’s a win-win for the board of education in my opinion,” said Patrick Atwater, Tift County school superintendent.

Atwater told board members in workshop session Tuesday night members of the YMCA had approached him and discussed the possibility of reinstating payroll deduction for school system employees to pay their YMCA dues in exchange for the expense the system had been paying the YMCA to use the organization’s swim facilities for the swim team.

“Since the swim team program began several years ago, we have been paying the YMCA for the use of the pool, chemicals, lifeguards, maintenance and electricity to keep the pool heated during swim season,” Atwater said.

Atwater also announced Tuesday night he had recently been sworn in as a member of the local YMCA’s board of directors, but pointed out he had been approached with the idea of payroll deduction in exchange for swim team fees prior to that appointment.

“This was suggested to me before I was on the board of directors and I would have brought it to you regardless of whether I was on the board of the YMCA,” Atwater said. “I am making that clear up front; there is no conflict.”

Atwater said the YMCA has agreed to give the pool facility to the swim team at no charge if the board approves the payroll deduction of dues for employees of the school system. He said that YMCA director Jimmy Moore had agreed to “do the legwork” and assist school system staff members with record keeping.

“I do think this is a great opportunity for your employees,” Moore said.

Moore said YMCA representatives were “very excited” the organization was in discussions with the Tift County Recreation Department, as well as the school system on how the groups can form “ a more cohesive group” to work together to provide more constructive activities for young people.

In other news, Dr. Willie Miles, Tift County High School principal, said economics teachers at the school had been presented a Distinguished Achievement Award for improvements students had made on end-of-course tests. Miles said the school was one of only 10 in the state to be recognized for student improvements in economics courses. Miles said that students improved from 60 percent of the students passing the courses last year to 87 percent of them passing this year.