Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By JOYANNA LOVE/ Senior Staff Writer

A job description for the safety coordinator/ energy manager was a major topic of discussion by the Chilton County Board of Education on Feb. 19.

A motion to approve job description for a safety coordinator/ energy manager failed 6 to 1. Board President Angie Sanderson, Vice President Pam Price and board members Chris Smith, Lori Patterson, Keith Moore, and Brian Jackson voted against. Board member Jacqueline Sullivan voted in favor.

Concerns about the job description had been discussed during a work session prior to the voting session.

During the discussion about salary, Price asked how much had been set aside in the safety budget for the position.

Chief School Financial Officer Melynda Buck said the funding for safety is included in the maintenance department budget.

Board members had a copy of the job description and voiced concerns about some of the wording and what it listed as responsibilities of those working with the safety coordinator.

Sanderson asked if the safety coordinator was required to teach the prevention courses mentioned.

Superintendent Jason Griffin explained that the safety coordinator is who is responsible for making sure that the state required prevention programs have been offered.

Chilton County Schools does have a Safe Schools Coordinator at this time. Funds for the position had been included in this fiscal year’s budget.  However, an official description for the safety coordinator/ energy manager is now being required by the state.

The motion to approve the job description was made to create an official description in line with state requirements. However, creating a new job description also requires that job to be posted and applications accepted as if it were a truly new position.

“We are adding another employee, so we are going to have to fund another employee out of our maintenance fund,” Price said.

The school system cannot adopt a job description and automatically approve the person who has been filling the role. However, the current employee can apply.

During the work session, Price expressed concerns that the board could be creating another position requiring local funding. This would happen is the person filling the role was not the person hired after the job was posted with the official job description. Moore made similar comments.

Votes to establish a salary schedule for the position and to post the position also failed.

This issue is expected to come up again at a future meeting.

A project to build a cover for the softball batting cages at Chilton County High School was discussed during the work session. Price and Johnson questioned why this project could be built by volunteers when other booster club construction projects had been refused.  Griffin said architectural drawings for the project had been submitted to the state and approved. Price and Johnson wanted to ensure that other schools could receive similar approval for projects in the future.

Also during the meeting:

• Griffin recognized several students from Verbena High School, Chilton County High School, Jemison High School and Thorsby High School for their achievements in band.
• The Board approved the retirement of Thorsby High School teacher Billy Jackson, effective June 1.
• The Board accepted the resignation of Jemison High School employee Josh Tatum and Clanton Elementary teacher LeeAnn Gregory.
• The Board hired two Child Nutrition Program assistants, a bus aide for special education and an assistant principal for Clanton Intermediate School.
• Several volunteers and travel requests for school groups were approved.
• A request from LeCroy Career Technical Center for $3,000 to cover salary for substitute teachers and registration for a teacher to an International Technology Engineering Education Association conference was removed from the agenda. The teacher would be receiving an award at the event.