Virus alters plan for start of school in January

Demopolis City School Board members heard plans for reopening schools after the Christmas break in light of the rising numbers of positive COVID-19 cases among students and staff and the required quarantine of those who came in contact.

Supt. Kyle Kallhoff told the board Monday that both Demopolis High and Demopolis Middle schools will have staggered in-person school days beginning Jan. 4. Those two campuses had the highest number of coronavirus cases. Half of the students will attend school Monday and Tuesday; the other half, Thursday and Friday, with Wednesday set aside for online instruction. Off campus days will be designated for extended learning.

The choice to stagger days of instruction will be reevaluated in January. “The numbers and data will dictate the decision,” he said.

Schools reported 13 cases of the virus, with another two probable cases, on Friday. That required 237 students who were in close contact to be quarantined. Those numbers led administrators to make the decision to close schools this week, starting the Christmas break early. As of Monday, 10 staff members also had the virus.

It is hoped, said Kallhoff, that parents, students and staff will “make good decisions” over the break to minimize the spread of the virus.

“I cannot stress enough how important it is for our employees, our students and our parents to take the necessary precautions needed to slow the spread of COVID-19 in our area,” he said. “If we don’t change what we’re doing as adults in this community it’s going to be hard to sustain school when we get back from Christmas.”

The meeting started with the recognition of the Teachers of the Year for all four campuses. Honored were Penny Stanford, Westside; Margie Jackson, U.S. Jones; Allene Jones, DMS, and Rebecca Pipkins, DHS.

At the instigation of the Class of 2020, the board approved naming the History Hall at DHS as the Joseph Browder History Hall in honor of the popular history teacher who died in June.

The contract with psychometrist Susan Hollinger was extended through the end of the school year.

Also approved was the first reading of revisions to the employment policy that now requires the minimum age of school employees to be 21. Kallhoff said the policy eliminates students who are working for the system. The new wording would make an exception of students “who have been or are currently employed” by the school system.

The board okayed $500 hazard/appreciation checks for Virtual Learning Academy teachers. Other personnel matters approved were:

• Retirement of Joe Ann Merriweather, WES secretary.
• Resignation of Paula Price, USJ CNP worker.
• Transfer of Sylvia Tate, full-time DMS para-professional, to half time at DMS and half time at DHS.
• Naming Jack Gantt as varsity head golf coach with a supplement of $2,500.
• Relieving Ricky Pulliam of all basketball coaching duties.
• Naming Calen Lowery as interim head coach of the DHS girls basketball program, with a supplement of $1,543.50.

Under consent items, the board approved the use of the USJ cafeteria, excluding the kitchen, by Christine Anderson; using the Alabama Association of School Boards to screen applications for the CSFO position, and advertising for a WES school secretary and a CNP worker at USJ.