Story By John Mann
The Albertville Chamber of Commerce and Albertville City School Board came together on Friday morning at Albertville First Baptist Church for their annual Educational Alliance Breakfast, celebrating the partnership between the two as well as the city.
During the breakfast the Board and Chamber recognized the new Teachers of the Year as well as the Elementary and Secondary Educators of the Year.
Morgan Brooks of Albertville High School was named Secondary Educator of the Year, while Buffy Bell of Albertville Elementary was recognized as Elementary Educator of the Year. Teachers of the Year were Mary Jo Dobbins, Rylei Willingham, Buffy Bell, Brileigh Noles, Noel Fincher, Morgan Brooks and Alicia Lett.
The breakfast was also joined by the Young Entrepreneurs of Albertville, a new program designed to teach high school students the skills they will need to start their own businesses. At the end of the year the group will hold a presentation where they will each present their ideas for a new business with the best one to receive a start-up grant.
“This program it’s been great to see it come to life,” Chamber President Stan Witherow said. “It’s our first year so we’re learning lots of things but we’re also getting to see these young people learning the skills that it’s going to take to actually start a new business, and hopefully one day they will all be Chamber members and we’ll be able to support them in a different way.”
The highlight of the event was the State of the Schools address by Superintendent Dr. Bart Reeves, which included the results of the most recent State Report Card. The district itself, as well as each individual school except Albertville High School and Albertville Innovation Academy, saw marked increases over the past two years. Currently the scores are AKPK at 88, APS at 89, AES at 89, AIS at 85, AMS at 80, AHS at 74, City School District at 87 and AIA at 54. Kindergarten and Pre-K saw the highest improvement, going up nine points over the past two years.
Reeves noted the score for AIA, the youngest of the Albertville Schools and receiving its first report card and elaborated on why it scored lower than the others.
“When you are a first year school,” Reeves said. “There is data that is not calculated with the report card. It is what it is. They do not count the graduation rate which was higher than 98 percent at AIA this past year, and they do not count the college and career readiness rate which is also above 97 percent at AIA. When you calculate those numbers, that will be calculated on next year’s report card, we’re looking at a minimum of seventy-five and I have a feeling that we’ll probably be higher than that in year two. Again, it is what it is, these are the rules that we play by and yeas, we don’t like seeing a fifty-four, but we know that by year two it’s going to be a seventy-five or higher.”
Currently the AIA boasts a student body of 575, an improvement over their first year which was 515, across three branches. Around three hundred students are enrolled in Career Tech Education, around two hundred are virtual students and the remaining seventy-five are enrolled in English Learning. Reeves would go on to say that, “We could not be more pleased with the direction of AIA.”
Reeves also noted that chronic absenteeism has dropped across the district, down to 10.5 percent for a near six percent improvement from last year. He credits the improvement to an increased importance placed on attendance which includes incentives for students.
The address was closed out with some insights into what’s coming for Albertville City Schools. These included the new elementary school gym, women’s athletic facility, a K1 school that should break ground this year and a new transportation and maintenance facility. Other projects that could be coming down the line soon also includes a new central office and new field house.
As part of his address Dr. Reeves also expressed his appreciation for Albertville City Schools staff, showing off a picture of over 650 employees gathered at the football stadium.
“When it comes to educating, supporting and leading children Albertville City Schools has the absolute best employees anywhere,” he said, “From our support staff, maintenance, custodians, child nutrition, secretaries, nurses, aides, bookkeepers to our teachers and administrators. On behalf of Albertville City School’s Board of Education thank you, you are the foundation of everything we do.”
More information about the Albertville City School System can be found on their website at albertk12.org. The Albertville Board of Education will hold their next meeting on February 17 at 6 p.m. at 105 West Main Street. Board meetings are open to the public. The Albertville Chamber of Commerce can be found albertvillechamberofcommerce.com.
