BOE approves reopening Career Tech Center
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.
By Christa Jennings
Senior Staff Writer
During its meeting last Thursday, the Board of Education approved reopening the school system’s Career Tech Center facility, located near the school campus on U.S. Highway 231 in Hanover.
The majority of Board members were present for the meeting, with Sharon Coffman attending the meeting virtually without voting.
Board Member Sharon Massie made the motion to reopen the center with funding provided by the State of Alabama to make needed renovations to the facility, purchase classroom equipment and update the technology infrastructure. Board Member Joe Belyeu seconded the motion, and it was then unanimously approved.
The action was taken based on the recommendation by Superintendent of Education David Stover, who was pleased the board voted to proceed and let the Career Tech Center, or CTC, “open back up.”
He later explained that about a month ago he called career tech representatives with the state and discussed the possibility of reopening the center. Those state career tech representatives came to look at another facility, as well as the former CTC building.
Stover said that the building was not in adequate shape, but said he discussed the county’s needs with those representatives. He explained to them that students in the county need hands-on learning and need those career and technology courses, as well as the overall importance of having the CTC building to better house those courses.
After that meeting and discussion, he stated that the career tech representatives gave him a check for $250,000 for the purpose of reopening the CTC facility. He said that he plans to hire a center director and hopes to offer new programs, but he does not plan to have a separate counselor for the center.
Stover reported that currently the county school system’s career tech offers the following programs: nursing, family and consumer sciences or home economics, computer classes, and automotive technology or auto tech.
He said that he would like to see the school system offering welding classes. He added that he is talking with Madix about that possibility.
Additionally, Stover said the system might be able to offer a manufacturing program at the reopened CTC building. He said he is talking with Westwater Resources and Central Alabama Community College about that potential program.
Regarding the building itself and needed work, Stover said the only real repair work it needs is repairing the roof on a portion of the facility, specifically the science building.
Beyond that, he said that it needs a good and thorough cleaning. He mentioned that he will be asking the community to help with cleanup efforts so that the county can get the CTC building reopened and hopefully offer additional career tech programs to the students.
Concerning a timeline, Stover said that he thinks they can complete the roof repair and cleanup over the summer, so he is hopeful to have the CTC building reopened in August for the upcoming school year.
Additionally, he said he hopes it will not cost too much to clean up the facility, as those remaining funds can then be used to go toward purchasing upgraded equipment and other needed supplies and upgrades for the programs and building.
Stover also mentioned that they are moving forward with improvements to the high school track and gymnasium, among other ongoing projects and improvements.
Related to the CTC building and other improvement projects, the board unanimously approved:
- An agreement with architect for Lathan Associates Architects to provide architect services in relation to reroofing of the science building at the CTC, with fees paid from Alabama Public School and College Authority, or PSCA, funding.
- Rejection of the single bid from Warner Athletic Construction in Smyrna, Tennessee, submitted for the track resurfacing for Central High School Coosa County, with a base bid of $260,000.
- Amending the agreement between owner and architect with Lathan Associates Architects for the following projects, with fees paid from PSCA funding: track resurfacing for the high school, bleacher replacement for Central High School and new athletic building and ADA, or Americans with Disabilities Act, upgrades for Central High School.
Also during the meeting, the board unanimously approved and adopted a resolution regarding principals’ salaries. Ultimately, the resolution pertained to raising the salary of each principal by $5,000, effective at the beginning of the upcoming academic year, July 1.
In part, the resolution reads, “Whereas the State of Alabama has raised teacher pay to combat the teacher shortage; whereas the Coosa County School System’s principals do an outstanding job in leading their campuses, faculty and students, providing the best educational opportunities to their students; and whereas Coosa County’s principals also deserve a raise, for the same reasons as the Alabama Legislature identified; now therefore be it resolved by the Coosa County Board of Education… that the Board of Education raises the salary of each principal $5,000 effective at the beginning of the upcoming academic year, July 1.”
In other personnel matters, the board unanimously approved acceptance of letters of intent to retire from paraprofessional/van driver Cynthia Lee effective June 1, lunchroom worker Teresa Mitchell effective May 1 and bus driver Karen Grimes effective June 1.
The board also unanimously approved a principal employment contract with Kara Forbus, elementary school principal, for a period beginning July 1 and ending on June 30, 2025.
Additionally, the board unanimously approved transferring Meg Aman Masters, elementary school librarian, to project director of the Literacy Everywhere! Project, effective July 1, with funding from a grant by the U.S. Department of Education.
During the meeting, Chief School Financial Officer Amy Davis presented a budget amendment for the 2022 fiscal year. She explained the adjustments made to the budget and reported a projected ending fund balance of $621,528 as of September 30.
However, Davis also reminded board members that indirect cost for ESSER funds have to be budgeted, but would not all be recognized in the 2022 fiscal year.
Following her presentation, the board unanimously approved the budget amendment as presented.
In other business, the board also unanimously approved:
- A revised fiscal year 2022 Capital Plan for Coosa County schools.
- Hiring Dewey Parsons as bus mechanic, effective May 9.
- Catrina Burton and Dana Chappell as substitute teachers/aides for the 2021-2022 school year, pending completion of requirements.
- An agreement between Coosa County schools and Coaction Collective for the period of January 1, 2022, through September 30, 2026, regarding evaluation of project activities for the Innovative Approaches to Literacy Grant.
- A field trip to Six Flags in Atlanta on May 21, with the sponsors for the trip being Jacques Mitchell, Mary White and Shelley Wood; Scott White will be the bus driver.
- Granting permission to auction a total of 15 surplus school buses through Govdeals.com, with the buses stated to no longer be of value to the school system.
- Allowing the following board employees to deliver and pick up the bank deposit bags at First Bank: principals, assistant principals, superintendent, and CSFO. The CSFO will provide current information for First Bank on who holds these positions.
- Changes to the paraprofessional/van driver job description.
Also during the meeting, state examiner Jason Norsworthy gave the final audit exit report of Coosa County’s records for the 2021 fiscal year, which ended September 30, 2021.
Norsworthy presented an unmodified opinion and noted two findings. Those were the deficit budget and one purchase that exceeded $15,000 without a bid.
Following his report, the board unanimously approved acceptance of his report as presented.
The next regularly scheduled monthly meeting of the Coosa County Board of Education will be held at 4 p.m. May 26.
