Demopolis BOE hires new Westside Elementary School principal

Roshanda Jackson was named principal of Westside Elementary School at the Demopolis City Schools Board of Education meeting Monday.

Jackson, now principal at J.E. Hobbs Elementary in Camden, will begin her duties July 1. She is a native of Clarke County and lives in Linden. She succeeds Tony Pittman who has moved to Demopolis High School.

As the meeting opened Supt. Kyle Kallhoff swore in the newest board member, Floy Mayberry. He then recognized retiring personnel, including Vicky Thorne, 15 years; Geraldine Walker, 17 years; Jeannette Rainey, 18 years; Dr. Tony Speegle, 31 years, and Patsy Cullman, 41 years.

The board reelected Conrad Murdock as chairman and named Carolyn Moore as vice chair.

Lauren Reid with the Autism Society of Alabama accepted a $1,000 check from Kallhoff as part of the funds raised during Autism Awareness Month in April. Kallhoff said each campus will receive $990 for special equipment for use by autistic students.

In other action, the board accepted:

• A paper bid from Newell Paper Company for $16,897.50
• The approved science textbook list from the Alabama Department of Education. Each school will select the books to use from that list.
• The bid from Howard Technologies for a wireless infrastructure upgrade for $288,199. Because the system will be reimbursed by 80 percent with the federal “Erate,” Demopolis’ portion of the cost is just under $60,000. Kallhoff said the upgrade will provide for up to 60 wireless devices in every classroom should they be needed. The bid is $12,000 less that what the system had budgeted.

The board also agreed to advertise for teachers at the elementary, middle and high schools throughout the summer to accommodate for teachers who are resigning.

Kallhoff told the board the school system will receive more earned units in the fall because of an increase in enrollment, meaning more money will be coming from the state and less local funding will be used to pay for teaching units.

He told the board that more than 80 citizens have attended the four one-hour strategic planning sessions, and two more are scheduled.

Monday morning, he continued, the DHS graduates held a Senior Walk through WES and U.S. Jones Elementary. It was the first such event for Demopolis schools. He added that he was proud of the $5 million in scholarships awarded to the Class of 2016.

In other personnel action the board approved:

• Hiring of Dylan Parten as the DHS science teacher.
• Transfer of Virginia Goodlett from 12-month assistant principal at DHS to 12-month assistant principal at 50 percent WES and 50 percent USJ.
• Resignations of Laura Rouse, WES, and William Rouse, DHS math.
• Non-renewal of Dawson Turberville, DHS teacher, and Robert Peterson, lunchroom worker at WES.
• Hiring of William Jackson, lunchroom worker, as additional custodian from June 1-Aug. 5 as needed at $7.33 per hour.

Summer office hours begin next week: 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7 a.m. to noon on Friday.

The next meeting is scheduled for Monday, June 13.