Marla Jones, Managing Editor
RAINSVILLE, Ala.-- The DeKalb County Board of Education held their regularly scheduled meeting on November 30.
Jon Bales, a teacher at Crossville Middle School, updated the Board on the Childhood Cancer Coin Drive that was held in various schools across the County. Participating schools included: Crossville Elementary School, Crossville Middle School, Ruhama Jr. High School, Valley Head High School, Collinsville High School, and Plainview High School.
Bales started the DeKalb County Schools Childhood Cancer Coin Drive in honor of his son, Austin. The drive is named “Austin’s Army”. Austin is a childhood cancer survivor. Teachers and staff donated their coins and approximately 3900 pounds of coins were collected, with a value of over $10,000.
These proceeds will go directly to DeKalb County students who are battling cancer in the form of gift cards and gas cards.
The Board Members approved the following Early Graduates:
- Timothy McKinney - Collinsville High School
- Kayla Ford - Collinsville High School
- Hayven Heaton - Plainview High School
- Shelby Thompson - Ider High School
- Alivia Terrell - Sylvania High School
- Kennedy Clem - Fyffe High School
- Jaden Spears - Fyffe High School
- Tyla Mize - Fyffe High School
- Autumn Owen - Fyffe High School
- Aubrey Jones - Fyffe High School
The Board went into a 20 minute Executive Session to conduct a Student Discipline Hearing. Upon returning, the Board approved the expulsion of the student until January 2023.
Dr. Keith Atchley of the Transportation Department updated the Board on private road repair in the Crossville area. County Roads 964 and County Road 955 have vastly improved. Three roads in the district have had no change with over thirty students affected.
Atchley advised that the Bus Sanitation Stations on all 120 regular routes are finished. With one push of a button, a bus is sanitized within thirty seconds.
The following bids were accepted for the DeKalb County School Bus fleet:
Southland - International Buses - 10 Type C-72 - $891,497.80
Southland - International Bus - 1 Type C-72 Special Needs - $114,035.94
Southland - International Bus - 3 Type C-72 Special Needs - $307,018.14
The following Retirements/Resignations were accepted by the Board:
- Angela Bennett - Bus Driver - Collinsville High School - Retirement - 1/1/22
- Tammy Greenleaf - CNP Worker - Fyffe High School - Resignation - 11/12/21
- Carrie Brock - Elementary Teacher - Crossville Middle School - Resignation - 12/17/21
The following Leave of Absences was granted:
- Luis Segura - Mathematics Teacher - Collinsville High School - 8/13/21 - 1/2/22 (Adjust end date from 5/27/22)
- Haley Harville-York - Science Teacher - Fyffe High School - 1/18/22-4/3/22
- Crystal Gladden - Itinerant Special Education Teacher - Collinsville High School - 12/6/21-1/31/22
- Whitney Whiteside - Assistant Principal - Plainview High School - 1/3/22-3/4/22
The following transfers were made:
- Mahala Patterson from Assistant Custodian (9-month/4-hour) to Assistant Custodian (9-month/7-hour) at Plainview High School; David Short from Assistant Custodian (9-month/7-hour) to Assistant Custodian (9-month/4-hour) at Plainview High School
- Eric Bryant from 9.5 month Assistant Principal to 10-month Assistant Principal at Crossville Elementary School
- Heath Thrash from 9.5 month Assistant Principal to 10-month Assistant Principal at Fyffe High School
- Nicole Carroll from 9.5 month Assistant Principal to 10-month Assistant Principal at Sylvania High School
- Ashlyn Benefield from Itinerant Special Education Paraprofessional to Itinerant Special Education Teacher at Plainview High School
- Misty Shelton from Itinerant Special Education Paraprofessional to Itinerant Special Education Teacher at Geraldine High School
The following Placements were made: (All placements are made pending a background review meeting suitability criteria and negative, pre-employment drug screen and appropriate certification)
Certified
- Tanner Nelson - Junior High Baseball Coaching Duties- Collinsville High School
Support
- Kristi Fant - CNP Worker - Geraldine High School (Effective 11/29/21)
- Anna Willingham - Itinerant Special Education Paraprofessional - Plainview High School
- Rex Harrison - Bus Driver - Valley Head High School
- Amanda Potter - CNP Worker - Fyffe High School
Volunteer Coaches
- Ider High School - Timothy Dalton - Cheerleading
- Geraldine High School -Kayla Andrews - Basketball
The following Contracts were granted:
- Charles Warren - Teaching Services - Ider High School
- Adam Amos - Secondary Agri-Science - Crossville High School
- Mahala Patterson - Custodial Support - Plainview High School
- Baylee Rogers - Occupational Therapy
In-School Intervention
- Ashley Hudgins - Math Teacher - Ruhama Jr. High School
- Teresa Jamison - Literacy Teacher - Geraldine High School
- Megan Lea - Teacher - Henagar Jr. High School
After School Literacy Programs
- Suzanne Armstrong - Substitute Bus Driver - Geraldine High School
- Suzanne Armstrong - Substitute Bus Driver - Geraldine High School
- Kelbi Ballenger - Substitute Teacher - Sylvania High School
- Amber Brown - Tutor - Crossville Elementary School
- Kim DeBoard - Tutor - Crossville Elementary School
- Amy Gurley - Substitute Teacher - Sylvania High School
- Georganna Crisson - Teacher - Crossville High School
- Jerry Hams - Teacher - Crossville High School
- April Ivey - Teacher- Crossville High School
- Ariel Johnson - Teacher - Crossville High School
- Peyton Knop - Teacher - Crossville High School
- . Chris Murdock - Bus Driver - Ruhama Jr. High School
- . Whittany Nicholas - Teacher - Crossville High School
- Michael Peppers - Bus Driver - Crossville High School
- Sonya Pope - Teacher - Ruhama Jr. High School
- Tobey Williamson - Teacher - Crossville High School
Parenting Partners Facilitator
- Emily Bales - Crossville Elementary School
- Jonathan Bales - Crossville Elementary School
- Kristen Bates - Plainview High School
- Brenda Gembe Bautista - Crossville Elementary School
- Christi Black - Valley Head High School
- Tawnya Bobo - Crossville Elementary School
- Wanda Burt - Ruhama Jr. High School
- Nicole Carroll - Valley Head High School
- Claire Chandler - Collinsville High School
- Kendall Cochran - Sylvania High School
- Heather Conkle - Ruhama Jr. High School
- Ashley Crum - Geraldine High School
- Carrie Ferguson - Plainview High School
- Kelly Freeman - Ider High School
- Nancy Frost - Henagar Jr. High School
- Lisa Graben - Fyffe High School
- April Hall - Fyffe High School
- Leisha Hancock - Geraldine High School
- Cindy Harrison - Valley Head High School
- Lillian Hawkins - Crossville Elementary School
- Felecia Higdon - Ider High School
- April Hill - Fyffe High School
- Ginger Hill - Geraldine High School
- Josh Hill - Fyffe High School
- Allie Jones - Collinsville High School
- Monique Kittle - Sylvania High School
- Lisa Lacy - Henagar Jr. High School
- Misty McAllister - Henagar Jr. High School
- Lori Morgan - Ruhama Jr. High School
- Carmen Parker - Sylvania High School
- Sarah Parker - Plainview High School
- Dana Patterson - Geraldine High School
- Tara Pickers - Crossville Elementary School
- Karyn Pickett - Sylvania High School
- Sloan Pope - Plainview High School
- Jennifer Ridgeway - Henagar Jr. High School
- Brittany Sears - Fyffe High School
- Maria Segura - Collinsville High School
- Crystal Sewell - Geraldine High School
- Alexandria Spurgin - Crossville Elementary
- Montye Thompson - Ider High School
- Wendy Wheeler - Sylvania High School
- Amanda Wilbanks - Plainview High School
- Alexa Williams - Crossville Elementary School
- Connie Yarbrough - Fyffe High School
- 21st Century
- Amber Brown - Teacher - Crossville Elementary School
- Marcia Crump - Bus Driver - Crossville Elementary School
- Kim DeBoard - Teacher - Crossville Elementary School
- Brenda Garcia - Student Aide - Crossville Elementary School
- Amelia Juan - Student Aide - Crossville Elementary School
- Amelia Juan - Student Aide - Crossville Elementary School
- Cristian Linares - Student Aide - Crossville Elementary School
- Michael Peppers - Bus Driver - Crossville Elementary School
Homebound Teacher
- Stacy Abigail Darnell
- Laura King
- Magon McAnelly
- Cassidy Romans-Scott
In other business, the Board approved the Sale of Moon Lake Elementary School and Property.
“I feel that this will be great for the Town of Mentone,” stated Superintendent Wayne Lyles. “ I look forward to seeing what the town does with the property. I know with all the creative talents in Mentone, it will be very nice.”
The Board also approved the following:
- Principal Supplements to begin in 2022
- Scott Timmons Principal Contract
- Purchase of Content Filter and Classroom Management Software - Linewize
- Enter into an agreement with the DeKalb County Commission for the Super Tower MOU
- Energy Services Contract Amendment 4 - Schneider Electric
- Resolution No. 2021-001: DeKalb County Board of Education Redistricting - 2020 Census
- CSFO Salary Increase Proposal in the amount of 5%
- Appointed Chris Andrews as Board Chairman and Carol Hiett as Vice-Chairman
The date of the next meeting will be on January 20, 2022. The Regular Meeting will begin at 5:00 P.M.; with the Work Session at 4:30 P.M. in the Meeting Room at the Facilities Building.
