Morgan County board extends school year for students

Students attending Morgan County schools will be required to go to classes an extra day because schools were closed on February10 due to snow and ice.
A decision was reached by the Morgan County School Board on February15 to add a day to the school calendar to make up for the missed day. This means the last day of school for students will be Thursday, June 2, and for teachers. Friday, June 3.
Previously, Tuesday, May 31, and Wednesday, June 1, was added to the calendar as makeup days, following prior closings due to inclement weather.
Board members considered a spring break day and a Saturday as makeup day options before reaching a consensus that adding a day to the end of the school calendar was a better option.
State law mandates a school year of 180 full instructional days for students and defines a school day as one consisting of not less than six hours of actual teaching.
In other matters the board voted as follows:
Morgan County Teachers of the Year were announced and recognized at the meeting.
Lila Johnson, a first grade teacher at Priceville Elementary School was named Elementary Teacher of the Year and Tara Martin, a math teacher at Danville Middle School as Secondary Teacher of the Year.
Each received a plaque from Superintendent Bill Hopkins and thanked for their on-going commitment to Morgan County Schools.
Johnson was introduced as a teacher who has been instrumental in extending the learning environment at PES to an outdoor classroom. She led an effort to have the classroom certified by the Alabama Wildlife Federation as an “Outdoor Classroom and Wildlife Habitat” and has helped obtain grants to expand and develop the project.
Martin was credited with challenging students and providing leadership at the school and the district level. She was also described as a teacher who is deeply involved in increasing technology use in the classroom and collaborating with other teachers to develop web-resources.
Three teachers were recognized for receiving National Board Recertification. They are Valerie Powell, Sparkman School; Suzanne Blackman, Danville-Neel Elementary School; and Stacy Hughes, West Morgan School.
The board also acted as follows:
• Approved a resolution dedicating the West Morgan High School Gymnasium in honor of John A. Lyle and Ricky J. Bowling.
• Approved a request from Falkville Elementary School to allow out-of-state travel on May 11-16 for 30 fifth and sixth grade students and their chaperones to attend Magic Music Days at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla.
• Rescinded previous board action taken Nov. 9, 2010, stating that salaries for the Cotaco After School Suspension Program are funded at no cost to the Morgan County Board of Education and that the program is financed at no cost to the Morgan County Board of Education.
• Approved a contract between Morgan County Schools and F & P Enterprises Inc. to provide assistance in filing E-rate applications for the 2011-2012. F & P Enterprises will be paid $1,000 per month during the contract period, Jan. 6, 2011, through May 31, 2011.
• Approved a special education transportation contract with Keri McCutcheon, effective Jan. 20, 2011, to provide transportation for an eligible student from home to school and back each day the student attends school.
• Approved payment of $750 to Shelton-Hunter Inc. for a new bond for Chief School Financial Officer John Godwin, effective Jan. 1, 2011.
• Approved a contract for Spanish interpre-ting/translation services with Elizabeth Grace Anders, effective Feb. 24, 2011. She will provide translating services for parents and/or students on Parent Teacher Conference Day at a rate of $20 per hour, not to exceed five hours.
Personnel items recommended by the superintendent and approved by the board are listed as follows:
• Approved a contract for hospital/homebound services between Morgan County Schools and Angie Tomlin, effective Jan. 24, 2011. Mrs Tomlin will provide instruction to an eligible student.
• Accepted the resignation of Bobby Sanford, a countywide school bus driver, effective Jan. 21, 2011.
• Accepted the resignation of Cheryl Lecroy, a countywide SPE aide, effective at the end of the current school year.
• Approved family medical leave of absence without pay for Lori Pinkerton, SPE aide at Brewer High School, effective Dec. 6 2010, through Jan. 4, 2011.
• Approved leave of absence without pay for Lori Pinkerton, SPE aide at Brewer High School, effective Jan. 4 through Feb. 18, 2011.
• Approved Dawn Hawkins as middle school softball coach at Brewer High School, effective for the 2010-2011 season. Ms. Watkins will receive a $1,000 supplement, paid in full from the Brewer High School softball account.
• Rescind previous board action (1013-11) naming Chris Creel as both the track and cross-country coach at Brewer High School for the 2010-2011 school year. Creel should only receive the track supplement. Jeff Thompson should receive the 2010-2011 cross-country supplement as previously submitted on Brewer High’s supplement list.
• Appoved the reassignment of Robbie Elliot from 10-month principal at Brewer High School to 12-month assistant principal at Brewer, effective Feb. 10, 2011. He will be replacing Lee Willis who transferred.
• Approved the transfer of Jennifer Brindley Brown from history teacher at Brewer High School to computer teacher at Priceville Junior High, effective Feb. 11, 2011.
• Approved the transfer of Rodney Collins from world history, ACCESS and health teacher to full- time history teacher at Brewer High School, effective Feb. 11, 2011. Collins is replacing Jennifer Brindley who is transferring.
• Accepted notice of retirement form Donna Roberts, counselor at Cotaco School, effective July 1, 2011.
• Accepted notice of resignation from Anthony Brown as boy’s basketball coach at Eva school, effective June 2, 2011.
• Approved notice of resignation from Bonnie Thompson, part-time custodian at Falkville High School, effective Jan. 7, 2011.
• Approved application for continued salary in lieu of sick leave for 18 days, 1-20-11 through 2-14-11 for Renee Hardin, CNP worker at Falkville High School.
• Approved Christy Ferguson as head softball coach at Falkville High School, effective Jan. 18, 2011. Ferguson will replace Kent Tucker who resigned. She will be a non-staff coach and will be accompanied by certified personnel when interacting with students.
• Approved Family Medical Leave without pay for Beckie Judkins, CNP worker at Falkville High School, effective Feb. 1 through Feb. 28, 2011.
• Approved David Wood as 7th and 8th grade baseball coach at Falkville High School, effective Jan. 31, 2011. He is a non-staff coach and will be accompanied by certified personnel while interacting with students. The position will be paid for by local school funds.
• Approved Sue Davis as part-time custodian, four hours a day five days a week, 10 months a year, at Falkville High School, effective Feb. 11, 2011. She is replacing Bonnie Thompson who resigned.
• Approved the transfer of Becky Dabbs from CNP worker at Falkville High School to CNP manager at Falkville High, effective Feb. 11, 2011. She is replacing Jenny Rose who resigned.
• Approved an educational leave of absence without pay for Amy Crow, a countywide SPE support employee at Priceville Elementary School, effective Feb. 7 through Feb. 14, 2011.
• Approved a request for catastrophic leave of absence for Dee Dee Hendrix, third grade teacher at Priceville Elementary School, effective Mar. 1 through April 11, 2011.
• Approved Samuel Wallace as 7th grade boys’ basketball coach at Priceville Junior High School, effective Feb. 11, 2011. His salary will be funded at no expense to the board; it will be funded through the school’s basketball fund.
• Approved Mark Mason as interim principal at Priceville High School, effective Feb. 11, 2011.
• Approved Jason Teichmiller as middle school soccer coach at Priceville High School. Effective Feb. 1, 2011. This is a new position and will be paid for through Priceville High School soccer funds.
• Approved maternity leave of absence without pay for Jennifer Knowlton, science teacher at Price-ville Elementary School, effective Feb. 1, 2011. Approved Darrell Haynes as assistant softball coach at Priceville High School, effective Feb. 1, 2011.
• Approved the transfer of Fred Childs from countywide bus aide to countywide bus driver. He is replacing Darlene Lambert who resigned.
• Approved Vera Kent as a countywide bus aide, effective Feb. 11, 2011. She is replacing Freddie Childs who transferred and is retaining her SEDA position with Morgan County Schools.
• Approved Joseph Rogers as a countywide bus aide, effective Feb. 11, 2011. He is replacing Susan Bodkin who resigned. He will retain his teaching position with Morgan County Schools.
• Approved the transfer of Selena Bailey from CNP worker at Sparkman School to Brewer High School, effective Feb. 11, 21011.
• Approved Frankie Flack as a countywide school bus driver, effective Feb. 1, 2011. He will be replacing Jasen Reagin who resigned.
•Accepted notice of retirement from Jane Palmer, a half-time art teacher at West Morgan High School, effective June 1, 2011.