COVID-19 changing school schedules again; board members honored

 At its meeting in December, the Demopolis City Schools Board of Education set up staggered school days beginning this month for Demopolis High and Demopolis Middle schools because of spiking numbers of quarantines required from students and staff who had contracted COVID-19.

The change worked, but now the greater numbers of quarantines have shifted to Westside and U.S. Jones Elementary, Supt. Kyle Kallhoff told board members at their meeting Tuesday.

“We have yet to determine that any positive case came from the classroom,” Kallhoff said. To his knowledge, all coronavirus cases have been contracted outside of school which, he said, shows protocols put into place are working.

Because of the continuing numbers, however, plans are to have a combination of classroom and remote learning beginning Feb. 1. Those students who have chosen the Virtual Academy are not affected.

Students at all four campuses will attend classes Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, with remote learning on Wednesday. On that day each campus will undergo a deep cleaning, Kallhoff said. The schedule will be reevaluated again next month.

There is still no word when school employees will be eligible for vaccination again the novel virus, he continued. The school system is being proactive by working with Whitfield Regional Hospital to plan for a vaccine clinic for employees who wish to receive the shots when the vaccine is available.

January is Board Member Appreciation Month. Each of the BOE members received a gift bag: Floy Mayberry from WES, Harris Hurst from USJ, Olen Kerby from DMS, and Carolyn Moore, DHS. Board chairman Conrad Murdock, who attended the meeting by Zoom, received a bag from the Central Office.

Kallhoff said a second round of CARES Act money is expected, although the amount and when it will arrive isn’t known yet. He has been told it will be about four times more than the initial amount. For Demopolis schools, that would mean more than $2 million.

He said the money would be used to install filters for greater enhancement of indoor air quality and to combat COVID learning loss.

Bids for the multi-purpose building at WES are expected to be opened in March. Kallhoff estimates the completion of the facility by the end of the year. The new building will be paid for through the state-wide capital bond.

Also being paid for by the bond will be the interior remodeling of DMS and USJ, estimated at $350,000. The project will be presented for approval in February.

The board approved a policy revision for employment requirements. Previously only those who were 21 and older could be hired, which excluded students who had or were employed. The revision keeps that age limit in place “with the exception of students who have been or are currently employed by the Demopolis City Board of Education, limited to K-5 for classroom positions.”

A first reading was held for a revision on purchase orders by the Central Office, removing a blanket cap of $2,500. The change would allow blanket purchase orders for recurring expenses, which would streamline operations.

Kallhoff announced that pre-registration for Pre-K began Jan. 15 and will continue until March 19. The random drawing for acceptance will be held March 24.

He said the school system has received 12 applicants for the CSFO position. They are being vetted now by the AASP, and the board will have recommended finalists by next week.

In other action, the board approved:

• Advertising for a custodian at WES.
• Renewing the contract with Derrick McCormack for tech support.
• Superintendent travel for the SSA Legislative Conference in Montgomery Feb. 1-3.

The following personnel report was approved:

• Conditional employment of Mary Ellen McCrory, WES secretary, and Tammy Rainey, WES paraprofessional.
• Resignation of Caitlyn Eve Hughes and Patricia Bolden, USJ teachers.
• Keith Murray and Cheyenne Martin as substitutes.
• Removing Anne Freeman as a sub at her request.
• Jeffrey Stanley to receive a baseball supplement of $1,800 to be paid with Baseball Boosters funds.
• Jennifer Roemen to receive a $1,000 stipend for interim CSFO duties.
• Leave request from Lindsey Robinson, WES, beginning April 8.
• Modify return date of Thomasene Russell, USJ aide, to April 1, for medical reasons.
• Katrina Sprinkle as long-term sub at USJ.