CULLMAN, Ala. – The Cullman County Board of Education held its monthly meeting on Thursday, Sept. 12, and discussed the upcoming fiscal year budget. It also proclaimed September Attendance Awareness Month in Cullman County Schools.
First on the agenda was discussion on the budget. The total proposed budget of $118.7 million for the school system was given a nearly $7 million bump from the previous year due to rising enrollment and the needs of the schools to support their students. Most of the system’s annual budget is set to cover materials, curriculum, payroll and employee benefits – $993,636 in employee benefits is set aside in the budget, and nearly $1.5 million is earmarked for teacher, faculty and staff salaries.
The budget allows room for new construction projects on the campuses of West Point Schools, the Cullman County Child Development Center, Vinemont High School, Fairview High School, Good Hope Elementary School, Hanceville Middle School and HVAC services for all remaining campuses.
In addition to the increased allocation for salaries, support and system growth, employee insurance matches will stay stagnant at $800 a month with a retirement match increase for both tier one and tier two employees.
At the meeting, the board also proclaimed September Attendance Awareness Month in Cullman County Schools.
“Let me tell you, truancy through the years as a teacher, as a principal and then as an administrator or a superintendent, it’s a thorn in your side; ask anyone in education,” said Superintendent Dr. Shane Barnette. “We can’t teach kids if they’re not at school.”
Barnette explained that one of the tactics the system employs to boost attendance numbers is to immerse the students in clubs, extracurriculars and activities.
“We try very hard to connect every single one of our students to a club, to one another and get them involved in school,” he said. “If we do that, I feel like our kids are going to be there.”
In other business, the CCBOE:
Approved the following resignations:
- Jacob Russell
- Elijah Page
- Rhonda Wynn
Approved the following leaves of absence:
- Kinley Nunn
- Samantha Barbee
- Amy Brady
- Cameron Baker
- Sonya Adams
Approved the following voluntary transfers:
- Vince Williams
- Melissa McCullar
Approved the following appointments:
- Kaitlinn McKissack
- Noah Page
- Michaelle Basinger
Approved the following substitutes:
- Constance Calvert
- Alan Kerber
- Nicholas Thompson
- Paula Calvert
- Amanda Calvert-Smith
- Paula Cleghorn
- Cassidy Cofer
- Karley Gilliland
- Mollye Graves
- Debra Howard
- Dusten Johnson
- Joyce Lee
- Kayla Looney
- Alicia Powe
- Michelle Ray
- Skye Riggs
- Tina Stansell
- Rebecca Stevens
- Britney Sullins
- Brenda White
- Crystal Williams
- Frankie Basinger
- Ryleigh Jones
- Emma Roberts
- Jessica Gable
- Brittney Guthery
- Tammy Smith
- Karla Speegle
- Kathy Thomason
- Samantha Arbet
- Tina Aspinwall
- Lynn Aston
- Vickie Bannister
- Hannah Bennett
- Raymond Briscoe
- Maci Brown
- Kayley Burden
- Jeri Burks
- Brandy Cantrell
- Katie Cates
- Jackie Chaffin
- Keirston Christy
- Carol Cline
- Michelle Crawford
- Kamilah Drake
- Cessily Earl
- Olivia Fletcher
- Emma Gelless
- Georgia Gorham
- Amber Harris
- Amanda Hayes
- Dakota Hurst
- Joanie Lancaster
- Brianna Laney-Shoemaker
- Crystal Murphree
- Joshua Murphree
Approved the following contract and salary changes:
- Justin Aby
- Crissy Dingler
- Nina Moss
- Angel Carnell
- Donna Drake
- Shelba Edge
- Rebecca Glaze
- Patricia Hutson
- Amanda Reid
Approved the following non-faculty coaches:
- Anthony Auston
- Jason Thomas
- Brandon Black
- Matt Negron
- Keith Day
- Zachary Blakney
- Brandy Lowe
- Joshua Stancil
- Samuel Jones
- Stacy Pesola
- Michael Black
- Mallory Rollo
- Gregory Allred
- Brooke Barnett
- Victoria Stanley
- Morgan Hammock
- Michael Holt
- Brosnan Ward
- Jimmy Fletcher
- Nathan Finley
- Mia Dodson
- Joshua Krittner
- Josh Phillips
- Kolton Sellers
- Kamryn Tankersley
- Jarrod Eubanks
- Mary Shaw
- Bridgett Elrod
- Adrian Adams
- Paige Collett
- Tyler Boland
- Blake McLeod
- Braelee Quinn
- Bruce Fitzgerald
- Dusty Shaddix
- Joshua Shannon
- William Whitesell
- Kevin Folds
- Terry Heaton
Approved the request from Fairview High School to pay Kristy Harris $750 for additional summer hours and responsibilities
Approved request from Fairview High School to pay George Redding $2,200 for maintenance and mowing fields
Approved request from Fairview High School to pay the following coaches for summer workouts:
- Logan Baird- $80
- David Carrell-$300
- Brian Simmons-$1,000
- Mason Black-$600
- Kyle Kugler-$200
- Jonathan Steadman-$40
Approved request from Good Hope Middle School to pay Shelba Edge $200 per cleaning of the gymnasium after middle school volleyball games
Approved request from Hanceville High School to pay Emily Brown $1,200 for 2024-2025 Athletic Director extra duties
Approved request from Holly Pond High School to pay Jeffrey Horton $1,680 for setting up before and
cleaning after varsity and middle school basketball games for the 2023-2024 season
Approved request from Vinemont Middle School to pay Ginger Lamon $2,500 for operating school concessions and cleaning for all events during the 2024-2025 school year
Approved request to pay Candice Baty $500 stipend at the end of each semester (total $1,000) for serving as a mentor as required by the ALSDE for TSEC (Temporary Special Education Certificate) mentee support
Approved request to pay Jackie C. Chaffin $20 per hour for assisting in the production of live streaming Cullman County athletic and academic events for the 2024-2025 school year effective Oct. 1, 2024,
Approved request to pay a $5,000 supplement to Pamela Roberson, to be paid over FY25 school year effective Oct. 1, 2024, for Virtual School additional duties
Approved request to pay Rena’ Watson a supplement of $1,200 per month effective July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025 for additional duties
Approved request to pay RN School Nurses at their hourly rate of pay and LPN School Nurses at their hourly rate of pay or their overtime rate (hours worked over 40) for additional hours as required for any academic and athletic activities for the 2024-2025 school year
Approved 2024-2025 Before-hours Program and Personnel:
West Point Elementary
- Director $30 per hour – Wanda Bennefield Teacher $25 per hour – Freda Coleman
Approved 2024-2025 Afterschool Programs and Personnel:
Fairview Elementary
Directors
$25 per hour
Tacy Haraway
Teachers/Subs
$20 per hour
Jeffrey Greer
Averie Harris
Karen Leeth
Christina Lindsey
Suzaun Shell
Harmony
Lead Teacher
$25 per hour
Jennifer Quick
Teachers/Subs
$22 per hour
Lori Clark
Carla Davis
Destiny Hibbs
Bethany Jones
Heather Jones
Emily Seymore
Madison Sharpe
Elaine Wren
Dacia Wynn
Approved to pay a supplement to the following local school Athletic Directors:
- Adam McKinnon, Cold Springs Elementary (K-8) – $750
- Adam McKinnon, Cold Springs High – $1,500
- Kenneth Griffin, Fairview Middle – $750
- Brian Simmons, Fairview High – $1,500
- Elizabeth Taylor, Good Hope Middle – $750 Scott Adams, Good Hope High – $1,500
- Brent Barnett, Hanceville Middle – $750
- Emily Brown, Hanceville High – $1,500
- Taylor Appling, Harmony – $500
- Daniel Weaver, Holly Pond K-8 – $750
- James Brett Neal, Holly Pond High – $1,500 David Martin, Parkside – $500
- Michael Willliams, Vinemont Middle – $750
- Roy Todd Johnson, Vinemont High – $1,500 Joshua Davis, West Point Middle – $750 Shannon Anderson, West Point High – $1,500
Approved the 2024-2025 Academic Coaching Supplements and Assignments
- Michael Willliams, Vinemont Middle – $750 Roy Todd Johnson, Vinemont High – $1,500 Joshua Davis, West Point Middle – $750 Shannon Anderson, West Point High – $1,500
Approved the 2024-2025 Academic Coaching Supplements and Assignments
Approved the 2024-2025 Athletic Coaching Supplements and Assignments
Approved July 2024 Financial Statements
Approved July 2024 Bills and Salaries
Approved request for the proposed 2025-2029 Capital Plan Minutes and Plan as proposed
Approved out-of-State Field Trip Request from West Point High School on Sept. 28, 2024, to Tusculum, TN for a Scholars Bowl Tournament
Authorized the Superintendent to submit application for various programs for the 2024-2025 school year including:
- Title I- Part A School Wide Program Funds
- Title II-Supporting Effective Instruction
- Title III- Language Instruction for Limited English Proficiency Title IV- Prevention and Support
- At-Risk
- Any other Federal, State and Grant Funds that the Superintendent deems necessary and possible to obtain
The next meeting of the CCBOE will be on Thursday, Oct. 17, with the work session beginning at 3:30 p.m. and the meeting immediately following.
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