DCS board holds virtual meeting; learns of light pole collapse
Forced by the social distancing order from Gov. Kay Ivey, the Demopolis City Schools Board of Education held a meeting by phone and video Monday.
In his report to the board, Supt. Kyle Kallhoff said remote learning had begun Monday for the rest of the school year. Students are using packets of material and following a paced learning program to complete the required tasks.
He said the severe weather that went through Demopolis Sunday night caused a light fixture at the Demopolis Middle School football field to fall, taking down part of the fence around the field and landing on Cedar Avenue. Inspection of the light pole showed that the base had rusted. Kallhoff said all the other light poles will be examined before determining what course of action to take to replace them.
The board approved contracts for Tish Lewis, Bridgette Powell and Derrick Hester, principals respectively at Westside Elementary, U.S. Jones Elementary and Demopolis Middle schools. The contracts will go into effect subject to each principal being in agreement.
Kallhoff reported the rest room renovation at U.S. Jones Elementary School has been substantially completed and will be ready for students when schools open again.
The board voted to approve a change to its financial policy. The proposed change already is in practice, but it is not written in the rules and regulations of the school system. In it, the superintendent is required to give a monthly report to the board on revenues and expenditures.
The first reading of the change came at the March meeting, and Kallhoff said he invited the public to comment on the DCS website for the required second reading. No comments were made, leading to the vote Monday.
Also approved was a template for extra-curricular supplements for the next school year. Kallhoff said the only change was the addition of a supplement for a student athlete summer workout.
He said even though spring sports have been cancelled because of the coronavirus, coaches receiving supplements are being paid and doing extra work around the campuses, such as mowing grass.
The board voted to advertise for several open positions for the 2020-2021 school year. Included are a director of bands for DMS and DHS, elementary music/band teacher partially paid for with Title I funds, a bookkeeper at USJ, and a career preparation teacher at DMS. Kallhoff hopes to have recommendations for the positions in May.
The board voted to approve the personnel report, which included the following:
- Resignations: Bryce Youmans, Band Director at DHS and DMS; Meggin Mayben, History/Broadcasting teacher at DHS; Jennifer Tate, art teacher at DHS.
- Retirement of Anne Freeman, WES.
- Conditional Employment: Nicole Aledo, DMS science teacher, effective Aug. 5, pending graduation May 2020; Juleigh Stevens, Special Education teacher at WES, effective Aug. 5.
- Transfers: Anne Marie Lawler to DHS bookkeeper from USJ, effective June 1; Robert Wilkerson from DMS Social Studies to DHS Social Studies, effective Aug. 5; Clint Humphrey from DHS Social Studies to DMS Social Studies, effective Aug. 5; Emi Aultman from WES to USJ, effective Aug. 5; Adrienne Etheridge from USJ to 6th grade at DMS, effective Aug. 5.