DeKalb school board says farewell to Wootten
By Tyler Pruett,
Managing Editor
IDER, Ala. — In a special meeting held at Ider High School, the DeKalb County Board of Education honored Terry Wootten for years of service to the county schools.
Wootten chose not to seek re-election late last year. After serving the parents, children, and teachers of Place 5 for 18 years, Thursday night (October 20th) marked Wootten’s last board meeting.
Towards the end of the meeting, Board Chairman Matt Sharp asked Superintendent Hugh Taylor to read a special plaque made in honor of Wootten’s service.
“Presented to Mr. Terry Wootten, Board Member, in grateful appreciation for your years of outstanding service and devotion, DeKalb County Board of Education, October 20, 2016,” Taylor read aloud.
“I’d like to personally thank him, he’s been great to work with. I appreciate Mr. Wootten and all the hard work he’s done, and the relationship I’ve built with him,” Taylor said.
“I appreciate Mr. Wootten, Mr. Wootten has been very helpful to me during my four years on the board, he’s been a board member for 18-years,” said Chairman Matt Sharp.
“You can tell when you talk to him, he loves his community, and he loves kids. I appreciate him and all his dedicated service,” added Sharp.
“I like your dedication and your insight, and what you’ve helped me to accomplish, understand and learn,” said Vice Chairman Jeff Williams.
“I appreciated the way you handle business and just seeing your love for your community, but not just this community, but throughout the county,” said Crossville Board Member, Randy Peppers.
“That’s always struck a chord with me. Just how much you love seeing the children learn and have every chance to grow,” Peppers said to Wootten.
“Mr. Wootten, he’s a good man, we’ve served together longer than anybody, for 14-years,” said Board Member Mark Richards.
“It’s been great to serve with him, he does have a love for his community, and he’s always believed in doing what’s right. I wish you the best,” said Richards.
Former Superintendent Charles Warren was also present to honor Wootten’s service, stating, “I enjoyed working for Terry, we worked together for 11 and a half years. I told Terry I wanted to come and thank him for serving so long.”
“Terry and I have been friends during all that time, and we are still friends. The district has a great guy coming in to replace Mr. Wootten, I’ve known Robert (Elliot) for a long time,” said Warren.
“Terry Congratulations and thank you for your service,” added Warren.
Outgoing board member Terry Wootten then addressed the crowd, “Thank ya’ll for all the kind words, I wanted to thank all the parents that are here tonight,” Wootten said.
“Without all the parents and the children, none of us would have a job, and all these teachers wouldn’t have a job,” he said. “It’s been joyful 99 percent of the time.”
“I told the guys before the meeting. there’s three red-headed girls running around here that are my grandkids,” he said.
“I’m going to be looking at ya’ll to make sure they have the best, them and all the other kids in the county,” he said.
In comments after the meeting, Wootten said, “In all my years on the board, it’s always been about the kids. They come first.”
