Morgan County Board of Education moved a step closer to getting construction of a new Priceville High School off the ground as it interviewed three firms that specialize in school construction management at a regular board meeting Sept. 13.

Limestone Building Group, Martin & Cobey Construction Co. and RA-LIN and Associates each had three representatives at the meeting. They promoted their respective firms with a video presentation, showing images of schools they have managed and explaining how they work as a team with the architect and contractors to meet budget goals and keep the project on schedule.

All of the representatives demonstrated extensive experience in construction management, finding savings throughout the life of a project and bringing it in under budget.

Superintendent Bill Hopkins told the representatives he would get back in touch with them within a week to talk about fees and indicated he will recommend one of the firms to the board at the next regular meeting, providing they desire to hire a manager for the school project.

He also indicted that earnest money has been put up for the purchase of a school site at Bethel and Upper River Road.

The following bids were approved for the 2012-2013 school year as follows: paint, Sherwin Williams; carpet and floor tile, Morgan City Carpets; and propane gas, Ala-Tenn Propane.

Out-of-state field trips were approved as follows; Students from Priceville, Brewer, Danville, Falkville and West Morgan to attend the annual district meeting of FCCLA in Memphis, Tenn. on Oct. 24, 2012; Danville High School to allow 16 students to attend the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis. Oct. 21-27; and Priceville Elementary school to allow 95 third grade students to travel to Chattanooga, Tenn., on April 19, 2013, to see Rock City, the aquarium and an IMAX movie.

The board acted on other matters as follows:

•Approved payment of $9,200 to School Superintendents of Alabama for 2012-2013 membership dues.

•Approved payment of $2,284.70 to CLAS for the 2012-2013 system subscription in CLAS Leadership Institute/Professional Development Program.

•Approved special education transportation contracts with Pam Bice and Sabrina Stover. They will provide transportation for eligible students from school to home each day the student attends school.

•Approved payment of $23,708 to Alabama Risk Management for Schools for ARMS general liability/errors and omissions coverage renewal for 2012-2013.

•Approved special education services contact with Huntsville Achievement School, effective Aug. 20, 2012. HAS will provide education services for an eligible student.

•Approved contracts for services with Elizabeth Denard, Laura Hernandez, Monica Myrick and Richard Bowers on an as-needed basis for translating and interpreting services through May 24, 2013.

The following personnel changes were made with the recommendation of Superintendent Bill Hopkins:

•Accepted the resignations of Hank Little as junior high volleyball coach at Falkville and Shane Hopkins as varsity volleyball coach at Priceville.

•Accepted the resignation of Melanie Fortenberry, a CNP worker at Sparkman School, effective Aug. 28, 2012.

• Continued salary in lieu of sick leave for Steven Leo Thompson, central office maintenance worker, for a total of 38 days, He was injured on the job.

•Accepted notice of resignation from Jahn Ryan as annual sponsor at Sparkman School, effective Aug. 27, 2012.

•Accepted the resignation of Malenia Long, a custodian at Eva School, effective Sept. 3, 2012.

• Approved Johnny Childress as counselor at Lacey’s Spring, Justin Fletcher as countywide (DHS) SPE one-on-one aide, Johnetta Turner as countywide (Cotaco) speech language pathologist, Carla Landers as countywide instructional aide (Sparkman), Meredith Eubanks as a countywide instructional aide (Eva), Laurie Keaty as a SPED aide at West Morgan Elementary School for four hours per day, Janice Vest as counselor at Union Hill, Dwight Lang as instructional aide at Brewer, Chris Odom as a certified teacher for computer applications at Priceville High, Jackson Schuster as a social studies teacher at West Morgan High and Melissa Humphrey as a countywide math teacher (Sparkman).

• Approved the transfers of Sonya Kennedy from business education teacher to counselor at Priceville High and Garry Pressley from math teacher at Priceville Junior High to driver’s education and math teacher at Falkville.

•Approved the transfers of Bethany Franklin from teacher at Sparkman to teacher at the Morgan County Learning Center, Pamela Patterson from pre-school bus aide at Cotaco to countywide (Cotaco) pre-school bus driver, Katherine Delancey from special education teacher at Priceville High to 1/2 time special education teacher at PHS and PJHS.

•Approved the reassignments of Dana Speegle from third grade teacher to kindergarten teacher at Falkville Elementary, Donna Gentry as head custodian at West Morgan Elementary and Margaret Taylor from nine-month custodian to 12-month custodian at West Morgan Elementary.

•Approved a probationary principal contract with Tara Murphy.

• Accepted notices of retirement from Donna Tomlinson, library assistant at Union Hill and Jamie Weathersby-Smith, a teacher at Priceville High.

•Approved a family medical leave of absence for Tina Prince, a custodian at Union Hill, effective Aug. 6, 2012, through Sept. 27, 2012.

•Approved a contracts for services with Sheryl Brock and Cheryl Bumpus for tutoring services.

•Approved catastrophic leave of absence for Tammy Hancock, assistant CNP manager at Priceville High School, effective Sept. 6, 2012, through Jan. 3, 2013, as needed.

•Approved all Morgan County Schools schedules and employee supplemental contracts for the 2012-2013 school year.