Clif Knight

Hartselle Enquirer

A group of Cotaco School supporters made a proposal to the Morgan County School Board to replace the flooring in the old school gym at its own expense providing the school system’s maintenance department removes the floor.

“Some of us old fellas who played ball there have gotten together and solicited money from our friends and neighbors to see the project through,” said Don Murphy a 1962 Cotaco graduate and former Morgan Courtly Schools superintendent. “We have raised $30,000 and have commitments bringing the total to $55,500.
We believe a new floor can be financed for that amount.”

“We can handle the money but we need your help getting the old floor removed,” he pointed out. “The floor is rotted and has holes in it, and I doubt it has any value. But we’d like to offer some of it to anyone who has a school connection if that’s legal.”

A dance team from Lacey’s Springs School entertained board members and an audience of parents with a mini-dance routine as Student Leadership Showcase. Principal Houston Blackwood said the team’s seven performers came to him last school year with a request to let them form a team.

“They have performed several times and their popularity had spilled over to fifth and sixth graders, he pointed out. “ At a recent team try out, we added several members to the team and look forward to seeding them perform in 2017-2018.

Superintendent Bill Hopkins congratulated and presented awards to the following faculty members and students:

•Brewer students Kayla Dean and Jessica Ross, winners in the 2017 Growing Our Own Lesson Plan/Video Contest sponsored by the Alabama Sate Department of Education and the Alabama Education Association.

•Morgan County Schools students who participated in the 5th Grade National Missing Children’s Day Poster Contest sponsored by the U.S. Department of Justice in Partnership with the Alabama Board of Education

•West Morgan School coaches John Ritter and Derek Blagburn as 2016 Coaches of the Year sponsored by the Alabama Spots Writers Association and Alabama Football Coaches Association

•Morgan County Schools 2016 United Way representatives for campaign year 2016-2017

Out-of-state travel requests were approved as follows:

•Brewer high school shooting sports team (approximately 26 members) to travel to Christiana, TN on May 6 to participate in the Big Springs ATA Shoot

•Cotaco School archery team (approximately 24 members) to travel to Louisville, KY on May 11-12 to participate in the National Archery Competition

•Priceville High School girls basketball team (approximately 13 members) and their chaperones to travel to Chattanooga, TN on June 14-15 to attend a basketball camp at the University of Chattanooga

•Brewer High School archery team (approximately 20 members) to travel to Louisville, KY to compete in the National Archery Tournament

Other agenda items were approved as follows:

•Approved CNP bid #17-02 for $42,300 from Dixie Fixtures for one combination oven at Union Hill Junior High School ($14,000); one combination oven at West Morgan High School (14,000); and one combination oven at Brewer High School ($14,300)

•Approved a contract with ITS for wide area network services.

•Approved a contract with Lean Frog to provide project-based support as determined by the superintendent for the remainder of the 2016-2017 school year and automatically renew for to three subsequent years

•Approved a contract with Carol Bradford to provide transportation for an eligible student from home to school and back each day the student attends during the remainder of the 2016-2017 school year

•Approved expenditures for the month ended Feb. 28, 2017

•Approved the plan for the 2017 Morgan County Schools Extended School Year Program

•Approved a request from Terri Nelson to use the Priceville High School Gymnasium to conduct the10th annual Morgan County Girls Basketball Camp May 20-June 2, 2017

•Approved an agreement with Keri Bearden for services

•Approved a resolution authorizing the sale of the old Ryan School property for the sale price, terms and conditions set forth in a proposed purchase agreement

Superintendent Hopkins recommended and the board approved personnel items as follows:

•Accepted the resignation of Crystal Melson as office/ISS aide at Danville Elementary School, effective Mar. 24, 2017

•Accepted notice of retirement from Danville Middle School history teacher Judy Welborn, effective June 1, 2017.

•Accepted notice of retirement from Nick Stover, assistant foreman for the Morgan County Schools Maintenance Department, effective April 1, 2017

•Accepted notice of retirement from Carolyn Parker, bus driver at Danville Middle School, effective June 1, 2017

•Approved application for continued salary in lieu of sick leave for a total of six days in March, 2017 for Pamela Blackwood, CNP staff member at Priceville Junior High School. She was injured on the job.

•Approved a contract for services with Bobby Bryson to provide activities for Morgan County Schools as outlined in the Alabama Career and Technical Extended School Year contract proposal for eight additional working days between June 6, 2017, and July 18, 2017, at Brewer High School Career Technical Center and various offsite locations

•Approved contract for service with Glenn Winston to provide activities for Morgan County Schools as outlined in the Alabama Career and Technical School Year Grant contract for nine additional working days between May 30, 2017, and Aug. 1, 2017, at Brewer High School Career Technical Center and various offsite locations

•Approved contract for services with Ashley Holmes to provide activities for Morgan County Schools as outlined in the Alabama Agriscience Extended School Year Grant Contract Proposal for 35 additional working days between May 30, 2017, and Aug. 1, 2017, at Brewer High School Career Technical Center and various offsite locations

•Approved family medical leave of absence request (maternity leave) from Melissa Green, CNP worker at West Morgan High School, effective Mar. 13, 2017, through Aug. 2017

•Approved family medical leave of absence request (maternity leave) from Savanna Dutton, teacher at Eva School, effective April 12, 2017, through May 15, 2017

•Accepted the resignation of Charity Goodwin, bookkeeper at Danville-Neel Elementary School, effective April 17, 2017

•Approved a contract for services with Charles Anthony Annerton to serve as a school nurse accompanying the PHS baseball team for extracurricular activities during the 2016-2017 season

•Approved a contract for services with Misti Leigh Bresette to provide tutoring services for Morgan County Schools, effedtive Mar. 13, 2017, through May 19

•Approved contract for services with Jennifer Chambers to transport a student from home to Cardinal School ands Kids Central each day the student attends school for the remainder of the 2016-17 school year,  beginning April 10, 2017

•Accept notice of retirement from Nadine Roberts, teacher at Cotaco School, effective June 1, 2017

Accepted he resignation of Nathan Denson, a maintenance worker (multi-craft electrician) for Morgan County Schools, effective April 10, 2017

•Accepted the resignation of Brian Langham, bus mechanic/apprentice for Morgan County Schools, effective April 28, 2017