DCS Board approves alternative school program
Impact 180, an alternative school program, received approval from the Demopolis City Schools Board of Education Monday, if state funding comes through.
The program would serve students in grades 6-12 who have been suspended for at least 20 days or face
their sixth suspension.
The alternative school is a computer-based curriculum that would be held in the computer lab of Demopolis Middle School from 3:30 to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
“This is a very structured program,” said Supt. Kyle Kallhoff. Students can have days added to or taken off their suspension based on a point system.
Students would be supervised by a certified teacher, a paraprofessional and a Student Resource Officer from the Demopolis Police Department, if money is granted by the state.
Kallhoff said the school system has been working on the new alternative education model for about six months.
The superintendent reported total enrollment at all four campuses is 2,291, with average daily attendance so far at 2,280. The attendance number after the first 20 days of school is used by the state to determine the number of teaching units that will be funded the next year.
At the beginning of the meeting, Kallhoff recognized an outstanding teacher and student from Westside Elementary and DMS. The recipients received a $10 gift certificate to Batter-Up, courtesy of the restaurant and Robertson Banking Company, and each teacher also received a massage from Pampered Kneads.
From WES were teacher Leslie May and kindergarten student Carson Averette. Avery Schumacher, 7th grader, and teacher Susan Browder were honored from DMS.
The board approved the following travel requests:
- 24, DHS Cross Country to Meridian, Miss.
- 28-30, USJ 4H Center to Columbiana.
- 1, DHS Cross Country to Meridian, Miss.
- 6-8, USJ fifth grade to Dauphin Island.
- 2-3, DHS Cross Country to Loxley.
- 11-12, DHS Cross Country to Oakville.
- 10-12, Superintendent travel to the SSA Fall Conference in Florence.
Approved as substitutes were Regina Hill, professional certificate, and Lacourtney French, Sherita Hale and Delendra Peterson, sub licenses.
Constance Cleveland, WES teacher, received approval for family medical leave.
In other action, the board approved two basketball coaching supplements for USJ and the
Memorandum of Understanding with the DPD to provide SRO to the schools.
Kallhoff said the Marengo County Probate Office no longer will use WES and DHS as voting sites beginning with the Nov. 8 election.
“It was the right move,” he said. Having so much traffic around the schools, especially WES, “was not a safe setting.”
The next meeting will be Oct. 17