CULLMAN — Local education leaders gave an update on the state of both local school systems, and Wallace State Community College (WSCC), Friday at the monthly Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon.

Cullman County Board of Education Superintendent Billy Coleman said the system is heading in the right direction, and he believes it is in a better financial condition than it has been in more than four years.

“The big picture first: We don’t have any money,” he joked, noting the system’s recent financial woes due to state budget cuts. “But that’s getting better, too.”

The system is now seeing the dividends of a countywide half-cent sales tax, and Coleman urged those in attendance to vote on a referendum this November that would give the local school system control of some potentially valuable land that had been set aside for school use, but is currently under the dominion of the state.

Coleman lauded the system’s efforts in the engineering field, and said he expects full-fledged classes to launch at the career center within the next two years.

“We started in the InSPIRESS program, which really fell into our lap, and the kids get to work on projects for NASA,” he said. “The Cullman County school system absolutely dominated the awards, and we sent kids to Washington this summer and they actually got to meet with the director of operations for NASA, at no cost to us. We’re continuing the program this year, and it will culminate next year with engineering classes offered at our career center. We’re very excited to offer engineering in our school system.”

Coleman also noted that test scores are trending up, and he hopes the more stable financial situation will help provide a foundation for future improvements.

“Our test scores showed a dramatic increase, part of that is because of programs we’ve adopted in our school system,” he said. “But because we have a large number of at-risk students and special ed students, we won’t ever meet all the standards required by the state. But we care about those kids, and we’re going to keep working for them. We don’t apologize for that.”

Cullman City Schools Superintendent Dr. Jan Harris noted the myriad awards and accolades the system has received the past year, and said she and the school board hope to continue striving for excellent.

“We have strong community support, financial security and a total educational program for our deserving students,” she said. “We’re proud that we’re one of 14 school districts that can say we have a three-month reserve in the bank ... and we have waiting lists at all our schools and we’re delighted to share that news.”

Harris noted the board is moving ahead with a massive renovation project at Cullman High School, mostly funded by the recently-passed countywide half-cent sales tax.

“Because of the additional sales tax that passed this spring, we’re able to go forward with a total improvement plan at Cullman High School,” she said. “We were working on a plan prior to the election, but after that passed it enabled us to go forward with a total improvement project.”

She also noted that the system has climbed to second in the state in test scores, edging closer to perennial academic power Mountain Brook.

“We’ve moved up in the state to second, only behind Mountain Brook City Schools,” she said. “What’s interesting about that is Mountain Brook has zero percent poverty students, and in our elementary schools we have over 40 percent. Race is really not the issue in America, it’s poverty. It’s reaching those students who may not live in the type of house we live in, or have a mom and a dad. We’re so pleased to be competing among the top schools in the state.”

Wallace State President Dr. Vicki Hawsey also delivered an update on the Hanceville college, and said work continues on the new nursing and science facility, as well as the overall repairs and improvements needed following damage from the April tornadoes last year.

“We have 42 buildings and hardly any of them have not been touched in some ways, though some not be choice, and others because we’re trying to redesign,” she said. “We’re nearing the end of tornado renovations, and we have fitted people in closets, corners and shared classrooms we never planned on sharing. But we have not stopped serving students and we have not lost student enrollment.”

Hawsey also said the administration is focusing on a new motto and approach to learning at the school.

“We want to make sure students are ready for college, ready for life and ready for a career,” she said. “We’re intently focused on doing that through a variety of things. We’re focused on transforming the learning environment at our college and engaging students with technology.”



* Trent Moore can be reached by e-mail at trentm@cullmantimes.com, or by telephone at 734-2131, ext. 220.