DCS passes teacher attendance incentive policy
The Demopolis City Schools Board of Education passed a new policy Monday that will reward teachers for attendance.
As part of the policy, teachers who use none of their allotted sick or personal days over the course of a school year will be paid an additional $420, the amount it would cost the school system to pay a substitute for seven days.
“If the teacher is there almost everyday, the achievement will be higher,” Demopolis City Schools Superintendent Dr. Al Griffin said.
Teachers with no more than two absences will be rewarded $300 while those who are absent no more than four days will receive $180.
The policy only applies in years in which the system does not suffer proration.
“They deserve much more. And they deserve much more than this two percent raise they are going to get,” Griffin explained.
The board also approved a personnel action sheet that included numerous hirings, resignations and postings.
Michael Shenk, Loretta Moore and Kyle Williams each tendered their resignations. Ben Ramer resigned as Demopolis High baseball coach.
The school board officially hired Brad Daniels to an eighth grade English Language Arts position and Jarret Williamson to a seventh grade science teacher post. The board also hired Patrick Akins as a special education instructional aide at Demopolis High School.
The BOE also voted to post openings for a Spanish teacher, Physical Education teacher and Precision Machining instructor at Demopolis High School, a Pre-K teacher at Westside Elementary School, a Special Education teacher at Demopolis Middle School and a SAP facilitator at Demopolis Middle School.
Other actionable items Monday saw the board approve early dismissal times for all schools in the system Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of this week. Students are set to release at 1 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday and at 11 a.m. Friday.
The board voted to add 10 work days to the contract of Demopolis Middle School Counselor Traci Pearson at the request of DMS administration.
The BOE elected Jim Stanford as Board Chairman for the coming school year with Linda Russell serving as Vice Chair.
The board also voted to allow the University of West Alabama football team to host Concordia College at Demopolis High School’s Tiger Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 26.
“Everybody remembers in 2010 we had a game and it was very profitable for our community,” Griffin said, referring to the last time UWA played a football game in Demopolis.