FP School Board Honors Durham

Marla Jones, Managing Editor

marla@southerntorch.com

FORT PAYNE, Ala.- The Fort Payne City Board of Education held their regularly scheduled meeting on May 24.

At the meeting, it was announced that the term of Fort Payne School Board President, Jimmy Durham, will end at the end of this month. Durham was honored with a plaque and a tree that will be planted at Little Ridge Intermediate School.

“You all have made this job and position very easy,” stated Durham.

Fort Payne Board of Education Superintendent Brian Jett expressed his appreciation to Mr. Durham for his outstanding service as a school board member of FPCS for the past 20 years.

The Board voted to elect Carolyn Martin as the new Board President for the 2022-2023 school year. The Board also voted to elect Neal Baine as the Board Vice-President.

Superintendent Jett recognized several students who had made great achievements during the school year.

Eighth graders Breanna Hyatt and Claire Greenwood were recently recognized at Northeast Alabama Community College’s Awards Day for their writing.

Breanna's short story “The Things We Never Said,” and Claire’s essay, “Reading Leads to Success,” each won 3rd place in the Aurora writing contest for their respective categories. The students’ work will be published in Aurora magazine later this year.

Mr. Jett also congratulated the LRIS STEAM Robotics 5th grade Rookie Team Fast Photons for their outstanding performance at the FIRST LEGO League Razorback Open Invitational held on the campus of the University of Arkansas. Their 3rd place state champion win qualified the following students to compete with 80 teams representing 28 states in the United States and 6 countries:

Elia Al-Halaseh
Luz Pedro
Luke Byrd
Alfredo Diego
Dana Francisco Jiménez
Molly Griffith
Caden Hairell
Rebeca Rodriguez-Lopez
Ava Grace Walker
Carrie Wells

The team wowed judges in two areas: their innovative solution, THE CLAW, which makes packages easier to carry as well as their teamwork skills. The LRIS STEAM team went from 34,000 teams ages 10-16 worldwide to the top 200.

Superintendent Jett also recognized the FPHS Tech Teams for their State Technology accomplishments. The Team had:

31 - 1st Place Projects
22 - 2nd Place Projects
20 - 3rd Place Projects

, The Board made the following presentations to Employees of the Year:

WVES Teacher – Gena Fowler
WVES Support - Angie Hammon
LRIS Teacher – Caleb Wigley
LRIS Support – Misty White
FPMS Teacher – Brandee Hughes
FPMS Support – Angel McInnis
FPHS – Teacher – Kala Kirby
FPHS Support – Genesis Salinas
CNP – Jessica Wisener
Bus Driver – Miranda Simmons
District Support – Brian Anderson

The Board also honored Retirees of the Year:

Deborah Beasley
Eddie Joe Wright
Minnie McElrath
Beverly Sutton
Karen Keeling
Teresa Davidson
Ricky Morrow
Kim Butler
Marcia Kerns

In other business, the Board accepted the following Retirements:

Kim Butler, Librarian at Little Ridge Intermediate School, effective June 1, 2022
Pam Whitley, Bus Driver within the Fort Payne City School System, effective July 1, 2022

Approved the following Resignations:

Mark Scott, from the following positions, effective May 27, 2022

➢ System-wide Special Education Teacher
➢ Head Girls Golf Coach at Fort Payne High School
➢ Head Boys Golf Coach at Fort Payne High School
Karen Wright, School Nurse at Fort Payne High School, effective May 27, 2022
Whitney Wigley, 1st Grade Math Vertical Leadership Team at Wills Valley Elementary School, effective May 27, 2022
Payton Kirby, Pre-K Aide at Wills Valley Elementary School, effective May 27, 2022
Steven Chesnut, Middle School Baseball Coach, effective May 15, 2022
Dylan Young, from the following positions, effective May 27, 2022
➢ Physical Education Teacher at Fort Payne Middle School
➢ 8th Grade Boys Basketball Coach
Sherry Noles, ELA Teacher at Fort Payne Middle School, effective May 27, 2022

Approved the following Leave:

Kellie Poe, Pre-K Teacher at Wills Valley Elementary School, for a One Year Leave of Absence, effective for the 2022-2023 school year.

The following transfers were approved:

Jessica Hayes, Half-time English Teacher at Fort Payne High School and Half-time Central Office Administrative Assistant, to a Full-time Central Office Administrative Assistant, effective July 1, 2022
Lori Bible, Curriculum Coach at Fort Payne High School, to a Secondary Interventionist Teacher, at Fort Payne High School, effective August 1, 2023
Stormy Stevens, Head Tennis Coach at Fort Payne High School, to Assistant Tennis Coach at Fort Payne High School, effective July 1, 2022
Logan Wright, Assistant Tennis Coach at Fort Payne High School, effective July 1, 2022
Amanda Davis, Secondary Interventionist at Fort Payne Middle School, to 7th and 8th Grade ELA Teacher, at Fort Payne Middle School, effective August 1, 2022
Kaitlyn Veal, 2nd Grade Teacher at Wills Valley Elementary School, to a 3rd Grade Teacher at Little Ridge Intermediate School, effective August 1, 2022, and non-renew her contract on May 26, 2023
Manda O’Daniel, 5th Grade Teacher at Little Ridge Intermediate School, to a Librarian at Little Ridge Intermediate School, effective August 1, 2022
Karen Fleming, 3rd Grade Teacher at Little Ridge Intermediate School, to a 5th Grade Teacher at Little Ridge Intermediate School, effective August 1, 2022
Brittany Hunter, System-wide SPE Aide, to LPN at Williams Avenue Elementary School, effective for the 2022-2023 school year
Mandy Holcomb, 1st Grade Teacher at Wills Valley Elementary School, to a 2nd Grade Teacher at Wills Valley Elementary School, effective August 1, 2022

The following non-renewals were made:

Allison Kincer, Argi-Science Teacher at Fort Payne Middle School
Cora Young, System-wide Special Education Teacher
Kelsie Green, System-wide Special Education Teacher Certificate
Alicia Mahan, System-wide EL Teacher
Kara Gallegos-Corona, System-wide EL Teacher
Emma Hartline, 2nd Grade Teacher at Wills Valley Elementary School
Rachael Walker, 1st Grade Teacher at Wills Valley Elementary School
George James Scott, Custodian at LRIS, effective June 1, 2022 and non-renew his contract on June 30, 2023

The Board approved the following requests for out-of-state travel: