By Trent Moore

trentm@cullmantimes.com

Good Hope High School softball players should have some new facilities by the time spring softball gets started.

The Cullman County Board of Education approved maintenance department bids for plumbing, lighting, irrigation and sod at the new Good Hope High School softball field.

“We have the dugouts finished,” board member Jerry Schuman said. “We’re cutting up the ground to lay the ball field, and we’re starting on the concession stand.”

The board approved a $10,980 bid with Best Plumbing, LLC, for the Good Hope High School girls’ softball field plumbing; field lights for $38,000 with Musco Sports Lighting; lighting installation with Benton Georgia, Inc. for $25,000; and $34,904 for an irrigation system, sod and over seeding from Hand Landscaping Co.

“We’re hoping to have it finished by November,” Schuman said.

The board also:

‰ Recognized Jamie Akin, Carolyn Ashley, Harold Ashley, Jean Baker, Jeremy Barber, Jerry Bartlett, Greg Brown, Keith Brown, Robert Burgess, Michael Campbell, Lonnie Collier, Janet Davis, Tim Entrekin, Tim Eskew, Randall Etheredge, Nena Evans, Mike Floyd, Roland Gay, Susan Gay, Steve Hogland, Gaylon Johnson, Vol Jones, Tommy King, Fred Kugler, Doris Long, Dual Mayfield, Mary Mayfield, Rex Motes, Sibby Myers, Cindy Myrex, Randall Pearson, Debbie Reed, Joyce Rutledge, Okley Shelton, Joan Thomason, Bruce Whitlock and Paul Yarbrough for going “Above & Beyond the Call of Duty” during Hurricane Gustav.

‰ Held the second public budget hearing and approved the 2008-2009 system budget.

‰ Approved the minutes from the Aug. 19, 2008 meeting.

‰ Approved the resignations of: Chan Fowler, BBSST chairperson at Good Hope Middle School; Marty Hardman, golf coach at Fairview High School; Elaine Wren, boys basketball coach at Harmony School; Daniel A. McHan, head football coach at Fairview Middle School; Daniel A. McHan, social studies teacher at Fairview Middle School; Gordon D. Pigg, maintenance foreman at the bus shop; Robin Stanley, custodian at Good Hope High School.

‰ Approved the voluntary transfers of: Debbie Boyd, from ELL Teacher at Good Hope School and West Point School to ELL Teacher at West Point School; Deborah Peake, from assistant principal at C.A.R.E. to alternative program manager at C.A.R.E.; Betty Hauk, from counselor and 504 facilitator at the Child Development Center to counselor and facilitator at the Child Development/ Center and systemwide; Shelly Elrod, from special ed aide and LPN at Harmony to full-time LPN at Harmony School.

‰ Approved the appointments of William Dowdy, middle school science teacher at Harmony School; Jodi Leverett, sixth grade history teacher at Fairview Middle School; Julie Berry, ELL teacher at Good Hope School; Cody Isbell, yard worker at Cold Springs High School; Kelly Harbison, kindergarten teacher at Hanceville Elementary School; Kyle Seymore and Amy Speegle, night school administrator and night school teacher at the Career Center;

‰ Approved Parent Project employees, from Title IV (federal funds): Sandra Waters, coordinator; Deborah Peake, facilitator; Diane Barnett, facilitator; Faith Whitlock, facilitator; Robert Whitlock, facilitator; Amanda Knappenberger, teen facilitator; Karen Rowell, teen facilitator; Jennifer Mead, teacher and tutor; Gary Reid, teacher and tutor aide.

‰ Approved High Hopes tutors.

‰ Approved substitutes: Julie Berry, Jennifer Murphree, Mallory Buchanan, Shelia Evans, Sarah Eller, Libby Raburn, Elizabeth Hanson, Patti Smith, Sarah Mooney, Cindy Bailey and Cody Etheredge.

‰ Approved substitutes (pending background check and completion of paperwork): Richard Patterson, teacher; Joella Link, teacher; William Dowdy, teacher; Heidi Coleman, custodian; Veronica Sellers, custodian and Martha Brindley, custodian.

‰ Approved contract and salary changes for: Jenny Gay, add BBSST chairperson supplement at Garden City School; Amanda Floyd, add BBSST chairperson supplement at Good Hope High School; Amber Thornton, upgrade to master’s degree; Blake Thompson, upgrade to master’s degree; Charles Clingman, upgrade to master’s degree; Vicky Spear, upgrade to doctoral degree; Don McPherson, upgrade to doctoral degree; Jessica McHan, rescind pay increase for upgrade to master’s degree.

‰ Approved out-of-state field trip requests from Cold Springs High School on November 21-23, 2008, to Cincinnati, Ohio for an FCCLA cluster leadership meeting.

‰ Approved a maintenance department bid for sale of shop roll up doors, for $1,500, with Kelley Septic Tank & Backhoe, Inc.

‰ Approved a maintenance department bid for new bus shop fuel tanks for $26,508, with McPherson Oil Co.

‰ Approved July 2008 bills and salaries, as well as the financial statement.

‰ Approved a motion to transfer funding for all elementary assistant principal teachers from Foundation program to general fund.

‰ Approved a change in salary schedule to increase the vocational routes by $1.50 per route.

‰ Approved a request to pay grant administrator stipend for State Farm grant. Approved a motion to pay Leslie Hembree a stipend of $2,000 to serve as administrator of the State Farm grant, replacing T.J. Franey.

‰ Approved a request from Hanceville Middle School for permission to dispose of the following obsolete, not working or unable to repair equipment: six keyboards, 13 monitors, 22 hard drives, one copier, one printer, one video camera, four overhead projectors and two televisions.

‰ Approved school board A.R.M.S. insurance for the 2008-2009 school year.

‰ Approved school board attorney Thomas A. Smith’s membership in the Alabama Council o School Board Attorneys for 2008-2009.

‰ Approved the 2008-2009 Alabama Student Assistance Plan.

‰ Approved the 2009 Cullman County School Capital Plan.

‰ Approved a motion to allow the school system to apply for Title I Program Funds; Title I, Part C (Migrant) Program Funds; Title II Funds –Teacher and Principal Training; Technology; Class Size Reduction; Title II Funds – Tech Prep Funds and Federal, Vocation Education; Title III – English Language Learners; Title IVA – Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Fund; Title IVB – 21st Century Community Learning; Centers Grant; Title V Funds – Innovative Programs; Title VI Funds – Federal and State to implement

the Special Education & Handicap Laws; Any other Federal, State and Grant Funds that the Superintendent deems necessary and possible to obtain.

‰ Authorized the superintendent to contract with qualified personnel or agencies for various short-term services during the 2009-2009 school year.

‰ Approved a request from Good Hope Middle School for permission to split the middle school math team sponsor supplement between Scott Cofer and Jamie Martin.

‰ Approved 2008-2009 academic and athletic coaching supplements.

‰ Approved requests from assistant principals Mike Stansberry (Good Hope High School track coach), Heith Yearwood (West Point High School senior high boys basketball coach) and Steve Miller (Holly Pond High varsity football coach and varsity baseball assistant coach) to coach athletic teams.

‰ Approved a request from Cold Springs High School Principal William Calvert to allow Brendan Voce to be the varsity football assistant and receive the supplement.

‰ Approved another request from William Calvert to allow Lisa Campbell to receive five athletic supplements as a cheerleader coach for senior high basketball, middle school football and summer camp, middle school basketball, junior varsity football and summer camp and junior varsity basketball.

‰ Approved a request from Hanceville High School Principal Robert Burgess to hire Carl W. Barnett, part-time library aide at Hanceville High School to serve as the senior high softball assistant coach and junior varsity girls basketball coach.

‰ Approved a request from West Point High School Principal Darrell Brock for permission to hire Tristan Thomas, special education aide, to serve as the senior high softball assistant coach.

‰ Approved a request from West Point High School Principal Darrell Brock for permission to hire Carl Amonite, instructional aide, to serve as the 2008-2009 senior high baseball assistant coach.

‰ Approved athletic coaching supplement for Brittany Sams, cross country coach $912.

‰ Approved a request from West Point High School to declare surplus on a scroll saw and a band saw used in the agriculture business department.