Teachers of the year, Gantt honored at BOE meeting
Before the Demopolis City Schools board of education took care of routine matters at its meeting Monday, Supt. Tony Willis recognized the employees at each campus who were voted by their peers to be Teachers of the Year.
He then praised Demopolis High School principal Terina Gantt, the Alabama Association of Secondary Principals District III Principal of the Year, as one of three finalists in the running for the state Principal of the Year. Gantt has gone through interviews, Willis said, and should find out next week if she takes the title.
Honored from each school were Brittany Donald, WES; Jannalee Duke, USJ; Deborah McAfee, DMS, and Lisa Lawrence, DHS. Each received a certificate, donation from Robertson Banking Company and an engraved plaque.
The board continued the accolades of Albert “Can Good” Thomas by issuing a proclamation in his honor and certifying the naming of the DHS field house – now known as The Good House – for him.
Substitute teachers often are hard to attract, said Willis. He received board approval to raise their daily pay. Non-certified subs’ salary will be raised from $60 to $90, and certified subs, from $70 to $100. The pay scale will go into force for other substitutes, such as bus drivers and custodial workers.
Under current policy for personal leave, each teacher receives two personal leave days funded by the state. If not used, those days can be rolled over or saved until retirement.
The board agreed to amend the DCS personal leave policy, adding an additional personal leave day after five consecutive years and another after 10 years. Those days, however, cannot be rolled over or used at retirement, Willis stressed. Teachers who use personal days still must pay the cost for a non-certified substitute.
The board approved a $134,000 quote from VIRCO for tables, desks and chairs for DMS, using ESSER 3 funds. Also okayed was a contract with CINTAS, which does deep cleaning at the schools, through October 2024.
During the coronavirus pandemic the attendance incentive policy for teachers was suspended. Now that DCS is back to normal operations, Willis said the perfect attendance incentives will be reinstated.
In other action, the board approved:
- An agreement with Valuable Informative Psychometric Services as a back-up option when the school system’s regular psychometrist firm is not available.
- Inventory disposition of technology items beyond repair.
- Adding a DMS Tennis Coach Supplement. Willis said there is a large interest at the school for a team.
- Overnight travel for the DHS HOSA Competition to Montgomery Feb. 24-25 and DHS FBLA Leadership Conference in Mobile, April 2021.
In his report to the board, Willis said:
- The multi-purpose building at WES is 20 percent complete.
- In conversations with representatives from each school, teachers thanked the school board for providing all the resources they need.
- Covid-19 numbers are rising slightly – six cases district-wide – but no school as reached one percent, which would require mandatory masking.
- All the fall sports reached the playoffs, and the DHS band received the highest marks in several categories, including the most entertaining. “There’s been a lot of positive things the first 13 weeks of school,” Willis said.
The following personnel changes were approved:
- Suzi Todd as a long-term sub for kindergarten while Ashley Stephens in on FMLA.
- Eula Dill as long-term sub for sixth grade math through Dec. 17.
- Tonya Goodwin as long-term sub for DHS secretary until the vacancy is filled.
- Retro pay supplement to Derrick Hester as Head of Accreditation from his hire date of Aug. 1.
- Robin Dunn as DMS Head Tennis Coach for approved supplement.
The next board meeting will be held Monday, Dec. 13.