School board approves 13 resignations

Published 4:51 pm Wednesday, April 19, 2023

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By JOYANNA LOVE| Managing Editor

The Chilton County Board of Education accepted 13 resignations/ retirements at its April 18 meeting.

Many of the resignations and retirements are effective June 1.

Those approved included Jemison Middle teacher Gail Mims, Chilton County High School teacher Emily Dunkling, Jemison Intermediate CNP Manager Vickie Dutton, Jemison Elementary CNP employees Lawanda Scott and Laura McKee, Maplesville High CNP employee Cathy Hatcher, Isabella High secretary Pam Bright, Thorsby High teacher Shea Hughes, THS teacher Assistant Mary Corley, JIS teacher Angie Glass, Isabella High teacher Carla Davis, JES teacher Josh Helms and CES teacher Caroline Harrison.

Also under personnel, Chilton County High School assistant principal Crystal Sabat was approved for a supplement of $1,500 per month for April and May, since she is the acting principal.

Approval was also given to move forward with posting a job description to hire registrar for the schools’ records. The position would handle registration, withdrawal, enrollment and transcripts.

“Our rationale for doing it is because our guidance counselors are just so overwhelmed … with student service issues,” Clements said. “We want to provide some help for our guidance counselors, and this was one of the best ways.”

A contract for Scribbles software to be used by the registrar was also approved. Superintendent Corey Clements told the board prior to the vote that if they approved the software, then they needed to follow through with hiring for the position. Board president Pam Price asked why PowerSchool, which the school system already has, could not be used instead. Clements said the version they have will not do everything that is needed, and to add on to PowerSchool would be more expensive then purchasing Scribbles. Clements has written a grant, which he hopes to use to fund the new software.

Moving forward with pursuing a new Chief School Financial Officer was approved. The current CSFO’s last day will be May 18. Some changes to the job description were discussed prior to the vote. This included adding that the superintendent would be a part of the annual evaluation process.

“I had no issues with anything with the past CSFO,” Clements said. “When Ms. Price and I went over the job description, we both agreed that most of the things that are on there would be things that I would observe in day-to-day operations.”

Price said she has already reached out to some contacts at the state about potential candidates.

Also during the meeting, the board approved:

  • Two long-term substitutes for JMS and one long-term substitute for CCHS.
  • Increasing what CNP substitutes will be paid next school year.
  • Multiple facility rental agreements. There was discussion about a for profit company that had requested to rent, and whether the fee could be waived. The board attorney said since it was a for profit company and the owner was a school system employee, the fee needed to be charged. The board traditionally waives the fee for nonprofit organizations and did for nonprofit requests during the meeting.
  • Purchasing six cars for the driver’s education course with Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funding.
  • Selling property the school system owns behind Martin Funeral Home.
  • A policy for students who have completed all requirements for graduate to have the option to graduate in December. Details on how this will handled are still being worked out, and the school system plans on releasing more information soon.
  • Furniture for the six-classroom addition to CCHS.