Demopolis BOE approves capital plan in Monday meeting

After recognizing the Tiger Students of the Month and the Employees of the Month at its meeting Monday, the Demopolis City Schools board voted on a five-year capital plan for building and maintenance.

Leading the list of proposed projects is the renovation of the New Era Building to create a Career Technical Center with multiple offerings at an estimated cost of $800,000 and a completion date of 2017. Also planned is an addition to Westside Elementary School, which is estimated to cost $1.1 million and would be finished by 2018. The plans do not give a source of funding for either project.

Other proposed projects to be paid for through Public School Funds include:

• Demopolis Middle School additions and renovations, $600,000, by 2018.
• U.S. Jones Elementary School additions and renovations, $140,000, by 2018.
• USJ additions and renovations, $140,000, by 2019.

Proposed projects with funding sources unknown include:

• Demopolis High School additions, $800,000, by 2019.
• DHS, HVAC system, $500,000, by 2020.
• Demopolis City Board of Education roofing, $50,000, by 2020.
• BOE, HVAC system, $500,000, by 2020.

The board also approved the Athletic Supplements for coaches, assistants, band, cheerleaders and sponsors for the school year totaling $142,904, a decrease of $16,660 from the previous year. Of those, DHS football coach Stacy Luker and his 10 assistants received a total of $38,654. Luker also receives an additional $9,700 as athletic director.

Schools superintendent Kyle Kallhoff inaugurated the Tiger Student and Employee of the Month programs at the meeting with recipients from WES and DMS. Honored were kindergartener Ellie Kaye Meadows and eighth-grader Devin Foster.

Nurse Terri Cameron from WES and lunchroom worker Brenda Moore from DMS also received recognition.

Kallhoff thanked Robertson Banking Company for sponsoring the awards. Each honoree received a gift certificate to Batter Up.

CFO Evelyn James reported sales tax revenue for the fiscal year was up more than $73,000, but for the month of August, it was down $2,800 over the previous year.

In his report Kallhoff said that in all the years he has been involved in the beginning of the school term, this is been the smoothest start, thanks to the school administrators.

The official school enrollment taken 20 days after Labor Day is 2,248.55, up 63.6 over the previous year. The enrollment is the figure on which state reimbursement will be based for the FY 2017.

In other action the board approved:

• The ice cream bid with Ice Cream Warehouse for $9,625 for WES, USJ and DMS.
• The declaration of surplus property which is beyond repair or sold by sealed bid.
• Mike Oakley, a member of the Bibb County Board of Education, as the AASB District 2 Director Nominee.
• Transportation invoice from the Marengo County BOE for $11,883.
• Out of state/overnight field trips for DMS eighth-graders to New York City Feb. 25-28 and DHS cheerleaders to the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Fla., Dec. 29-Jan. 2.
• Travel to the SSB Fall Conference in Florence Oct. 11-13.

The next scheduled board meeting will be Oct. 19.