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The Andalusia City Schools Board of Education discussed multiple personnel items during a meeting held last week.

Among the items discussed included special education positions. The board approved the addition of a special education paraprofessional position for Andalusia Junior High School, which is needed for a student moving into the seventh grade. Superintendent Dr. Daniel Shakespeare said the position could be funded through an Alabama Catastrophic Trust Fund grant.

The superintendent also received approval to move forward with an additional special education teacher for AHS/AJHS to prevent certain special education students being sent to alternative school for behavioral issues.

“We ended up with up to 12 students in alternative school for code of conduct violations,” Shakespeare said. “Some of those kids would be better served (working with a special education unit), so I’m asking for a self-contained behavioral teaching unit.”

The school system will apply for a grant to help fund the new unit and a paraprofessional could be added to assist with the class, according to Shakespeare.

The board unanimously approved a personnel report that included the following:

Resignations

• Claire Walters, fifth grade teacher at AES, effective May 24
• Karen Smith-Jones, special education paraprofessional at AHS, effective May 24

New Hires

• Chasity Morgan Barlow, special education teacher at AES, effective July 31
• Gabrielle Maloy, JAG teacher (Jobs for Alabama Graduates) at AHS, effective July 31.

Shakespeare said he hoped to recommend to the board candidates to fill four remaining open positions at the next meeting.

Other items discussed by the board included:

• approving the purchase of a Raptor Panic Alert System for added security within the system’s schools.

Shakespeare said the system allows faculty members to download an app that would allow them to immediately call for a school lockdown and notify authorities in emergency situations.

The cost for the system is $40,000 and will be purchased with a state grant.

• approving dual enrollment agreements with the University of Alabama and the University of South Alabama.
• approving to include language within all Child Nutrition Program requests that products must be at least 50 percent domestically produced, as required through the USDA’s CNP Buy America provisions.
• approving to let bids for lawn care on city schools’ properties.

The board discussed meeting again on Monday, June 24, 6 p.m., at the central office.