Tuesday, April 30, 2024

THE WEST ALABAMA WATCHMAN

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Education News The Latest 

School projects underway

Jan McDonald , , ,

In his report before the Demopolis City Schools Board of Education Monday, Supt. Kyle Kallhoff said the emergency project to repair the bathrooms at U.S. Jones Elementary is on the fast track for approval by the state.

SRO Walter Morgan holds his son, WES Student of the Month Jaiden Morgan, as Supt. Kyle Kallhoff, WES principal Tisha Lewis and BOE chairman Conrad Murdock look on.

Having fast-track approval means the school system doesn’t have to go through a bid process, although it will solicit bids from different companies once the work is given the okay by the state.

Supt. Kallhoff stands with DMS Students of the Month Kennedy Thomas and Sarah Rankin, DMS principal Derrick Hester and BOE member Floy Mayberry, Not shown is Ben Lindsay.

In other project updates, Kallhoff said striping will be done at two schools over Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks, weather permitting; the awning will be installed at USJ starting this week; lighting projects are completed at Demopolis Middle and USJ, and next to have new lights will be Westside Elementary.

WES teacher Tracy Horton is shown with Supt. Kallhoff, principal Hester and chairman Murdock.

The superintendent also gave preliminary results from an on-line survey of stakeholders and said it received very good feedback. Facility maintenance and upgrade was first on the list of improvements suggested by the responders.

DMS teacher Deborah McAfee is shown with Supt. Kallhoff, principal Hester and BOE member Mayberry.

Students, teachers and support staff from WES and DMS were recognized at the meeting. From WES were teacher Tracy Horton, support staff Nancy Seale and student Jaiden Morgan. Recognized from DMS were teacher Deborah McAfee, support staff Sandra Washington, and three students who escorted special needs students for an event at the school: Ben Lindsay, Kennedy Thomas and Sarah Rankin.

DMS custodian Sandra Washington is shown with Supt. Kallhoff, principal Hester and BOE member Mayberry.

The board approved the following:

  • Inventory disposition of computers that cannot be repaired.
  • Use of DHS auditorium for the Two Rivers Arts Council on Jan. 16 and Feb. 18 and by Tracy’s Dance Studio on May 15-16.
  • Superintendent’s Rotary dues
  • Out-of-state and/or overnight field trips for the DHS career tech organizations of HOSA, DECA, FBLA and JROTC to the Joint Development Conference in Birmingham Dec. 9-10.
  • DHS Lady Tigers basketball team to Hoover on Dec. 28-29.
  • DHS Environment Science Feb. 12-13 to Dauphin Island Sea Lab.
  • DHS Beta Club April 24 to Six Flags Education Day in Atlanta, Ga.
WES computer aide Nancy Seale is shown with Supt. Kallhoff, principal Lewis and BOE chair Murdock.

In personnel action, the board voted:

  • Sub license for Desha Anderson, Shannon Smith, Temika Holloway, Darron Anderson, Shannon Hand, Jay Ruiz, Raigan Gates and Jasmine Joiner, Steven Aultman with CDL as an extra-curricular bus driver only and Kasie Nolen with an RN license.
  • Conditional employment for Desha Anderson at USJ, effective Dec. 16 pending graduation, and Kim Davis, DMS special education teacher at DMS effective Jan. 21.
  • Yolanda Samuel $1,500 supplement for textbook management.

Kallhoff said two positions remain open: DHS special education teacher and a non-commissioned officer for JROTC.