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The Covington County Board of Education received a check for $50,000 from Andalusia Distributing Company during a regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 1.

ADC CEO Mike Jones Sr. and his brother Ricky Jones represent the foundation that makes the funds possible each year.

“Our family has been very blessed, and we have been able to help school systems over the years. In 2010, we started giving the school systems a donation through a foundation we had started several years before. With this year’s donation, we will have given the county school system about $665,000. Between the city and county school systems, we have given over $2 million since that time,” Mike Jones Sr. said.

Superintendent Shannon Driver said the funding would be utilized for teachers.

“From the very beginning, I felt like we should give this to our teachers. Our teachers get fee money from the state, but the restrictions on that money are so tight. We determine how many teacher units we have each year and divide the funding we receive to our teachers all across the county. This funding allows them to do rewards and other incentives as well as copies and goes a long way. What ADC is doing has a direct impact on Covington County Schools,” Driver said.

The board approved permission for the superintendent to enter into a contract with McKee and Associates to design plans and bid for a storm shelter at Pleasant Home School.

“This would be the second in our five-part phase of building storm shelters at each county school. The one at Pleasant Home would be very similar to the one in process at Red Level but have a slightly different shape because of its location. The building, which will be approximately 4,000 square feet with 14 feet of clearance, will accommodate just over 600 students and allow for some growth,” Driver said.

According to Driver, construction of the two shelters at Pleasant Home School and Red Level School is tentatively scheduled to begin next spring with an anticipated completion in the fall.

“I hope we can move on these buildings quickly. They are not complicated buildings and are straightforward without a lot of interior work,” Driver said. “I look forward to the day when we can have a storm shelter on each campus,” Board Member Sonny Thomasson added.

The board also approved permission for the superintendent to enter into a contract with McKee and Associates to design plans and bid for a baseball/softball restroom building at Straughn High School.

“This is another need we have. With the concession stands we currently have, the bathrooms take up half of the building. The bathrooms are small and are not handicap-accessible. I met with (Principal) Mr. (Matt) Cobb, and the plan is to open the concession stands to their full sizes. The men’s and women’s bathrooms will then move to a freestanding building between the baseball and softball fields. The plan will be similar to other buildings where we bid the structure and finish the remainder out. It will be a very good addition at Straughn,” Driver said.

In other business:

• The board selected president Dr. James Barton to attend the Alabama Association of School Boards’ Delegate Assembly on Thursday, Dec. 5, at The Renaissance Hotel in Montgomery. Board member Jeff Bailey was selected as an alternate.
• The board approved the employment of Tonya Cook as bus driver at Red Level School effective immediately, pending verification of new or existing background reviews.
• The board approved the employment of Misty Mooney as career coach at Covington County Schools effective immediately, pending verification of new or existing background reviews.
• The board approved the employment of Rachel Norman as occupational therapist at Covington County Schools effective immediately, pending verification of new or existing background reviews.
• The board heard a report from Chief School Finance Officer Ressie Gray on the distribution of financial reports that have been reconciled to most current bank statements.

The board set the next meeting date for Tuesday, Nov. 5, 5:30 p.m., at the central office.