Interim superintendent says he, BOE will ‘work as a team’

Reporting at his first Demopolis Board of Education meeting, interim superintendent Dr. Frank Costanzo presented a grant for Pre-K funding and clarified how he will work with the board and school personnel.

“I do not work in isolation,” Costanzo said. “We work together. We work as a team.”

Calvin Murdock presided for the first time as chairman of the board. Also present were board members Linda Russell and Jim Stanford.

The $150,000 Pre-K grant from the Office of School Readiness is part of the additional revenue Gov. Robert Bentley put in the state budget to provide for Pre-K readiness, Costanzo explained. It will be supplemented by in-kind matching funds provided by the school system.

Beginning in the fall, the Pre-K class at Westside Elementary School will have a lead teacher and an auxiliary teacher. The 18 students will be chosen by lottery. The children must be four years old by Sept. 1, 2015.

From 2002-2009 WES had a Pre-K program with 30 students, paid for by the school board. Local economic conditions caused it to be discontinued.

After approving the grant, the board also approved posting the position for the program’s teacher.

Other positions approved for posting were a third and a fourth grade teacher at U.S. Jones Elementary and a Child Nutrition Program worker at Demopolis High School now vacant because of the resignation of Anita Rowser.

Also approved was hiring William Jackson as summer custodial help.

Costanzo presented a sample contract to the board and explained that anyone hired for school work must have a contract that is approved by the board. The procedure is to make sure everything is disclosed.

In his remarks, Costanzo thanked the board for allowing him to serve as interim superintendent and added that he had been warmly welcomed to the community.

“What I will do in each and every case is to give you the best information I can give you as board members to make the decision you need to make,” he said.