DCS board makes last-minute moves before 17-18 school year

In a flurry of votes Wednesday morning, the Demopolis City Board of Education approved personnel changes and several contracts before the new school year begins.

Conditional employment approval was granted to:

• Kelly Easter, U.S. Jones Elementary.
• Rodney Lewis, JROTC NCO at Demopolis High School.
• Javalynn Williams, Demopolis Middle School.
• Timothy “Cain” Sutton, DMS.
• Traci Spiller, Central Office administrative assistant.

The board accepted resignations from Nicole Jensen at DMS and Nicole Greene at USJ.

Substitute teachers approved were Tamyla James, Carrie Williams and Sherri Peterson.

Miscellaneous personnel changes included:

• Michael McClain, Family Medical Leave.
• George Mullens, substitute in the USJ lunchroom for McClain.
• Carrie Williams as a long-term sub at DHS.
• Andrea Turberville from adjunct teacher to part-time teacher at DHS.
• Jesse Bell, DMS assistant football coaching supplement: $1,189, and DMS head basketball coaching supplement, $1,901, was approved on a 4-1 vote with Jim Stanford voting no.

Remington Keene received a one-year contract as an adjunct teacher at DHS to teach three Spanish classes per day. The board renewed Susan Clark’s one-year contract for speech services and that of Genesis Rehabilitation to provide physical and occupational therapy.

In other action, the board approved:

• An agreement with the website management company “edlio” to provide services for the school system. Supt. Kyle Kallhoff explained the current website is much better than several years ago, but there is a push to have it more user friendly for teachers. The initial start-up cost will be higher, but the annual cost will be about $500 less than the company now being used.
• An agreement with WSLY-FM radio to provide live coverage of the DHS football games.
• A contract with Centerplate of the University of Alabama and the DHS Band to allow band members to work the concession stands at UA home football games as a fundraiser.
• Advertising for a 12-month bookkeeper position at DMS.
• A finance agreement with John Deere and DHS to make two annual payments on a new Gator, a general utility vehicle. Board member Olen Kerby said the vehicle that is being replaced should have lasted longer. He asked that someone be put in charge of the new vehicle’s maintenance.

Kalhoff said budget hearings will be scheduled between now and the deadline for approval on Sept. 15. The next regularly scheduled board meeting is Monday, Aug. 21, at 5:15 p.mn.