By JOYANNA LOVE/ Senior Staff Writer

Some Chilton County Board of Education member concerns brought a delay to approving the state-required Consolidated Plan at the Oct. 17 meeting.

The board voted 3 to 2 against the plan. Board members Pam Price, Jim Shannon and Linda Hand voted against. Board members Joe Mims and Keith Moore voted in favor.  Board president Lori Patterson and member Curtis Smith were absent.

Price expressed concern that some of the things listed in the plan, such as every student being able to take every class, were not accurate. She said not all students can attend certain class, such as culinary.

She said not all schools send out newsletters or surveys as the plan states. She also expressed concern that the plan said all students could attend AP classes, but some students only have the opportunity online.

Superintendent Tommy Glasscock said “there was very little change … just some minor changes” to the plan as compared to last year’s plan.

The plan is a state requirement to comply with the national Every Child Succeeds Act. According to the Alabama State Department of Education website, each state must submit a plan outlining how it will “close achievement gaps, increase equity of instruction and increase outcomes for all students.”

“The plan is a combination of the Title I Plan and the Parental Involvement Plan that was formerly created under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002,” Ashlie Harrison, department head for CCS Teaching and Learning, said in an email to The Clanton Advertiser.

Harrison said further clarification on the plan will be presented at the next board meeting. She had been unable to attend the Oct. 17 meeting for family medical reasons.

Each local school system is then required to submit such a plan to the state, after the state has developed its plan.

The Board of Education also approved:

• Existing staff to work extra hours for the Child Nutrition Program after-school meal program. There were 41 employees approved to be a part of the program that will provide meals to students involved in after-school activities and the tutoring program.
• Angela Raley as an elementary teacher at Clanton Intermediate School. Raley had previously been a long-term substitute at the school.
• Fifteen new substitute teachers. Price asked why a long-term substitute was being hired at Isabella High School to replace a retiring teacher rather than hiring a new teacher. Assistant Superintendent Adriane Dennis said the school system had not received any applications from certified teachers, and the position would be re-posted in the near future to begin the hiring process again.
• Establishing Nov. 14 as Retired Educators Day. The designation was made at the request of the Chilton County Retired Teachers Association.
• Adding a Student Religious Liberties at School section to the school board policy outlining that students “may express their beliefs about religion in homework, artwork, and other written and oral assignments, free from discrimination based on the religious content of their submissions” as well as express their religious views through actions or clothing “to the same extent that students may engage in nonreligious activities or expression.” This section of the policy is in line with Code of Alabama ACT 2015-129.
• Amendments to the school system’s agenda, preparation and dissemination policy as well as salary deduction policy for employees.
• Policies and forms for job site opportunities for Career Technology students for the required consideration time period.