News Staff Report
The Escambia County Board of Education met in special session Monday, November 8, with much of the meeting spent in executive session with board attorneys providing legal information and updates.
Following the executive session, board member Mike Edwards made the following motion: “I make a motion that we terminate the consulting contract between the Board and retired superintendent John Knott. As Covid cases in Escambia County and in our Escambia County schools have thankfully dropped below 1 in 5,000 for 0 percent, his services are no longer needed in regards to the Covid pandemic outbreak in Escambia County schools.”
Following a second, the board voted unanimously to terminate the contract and pay Knott $12,500 for the remainder of his contract which would expire at the end of May 2022. These funds will come out of local funds, not COVID-related funds.
At the July 22 meeting, the board voted to retain then-Superintendent John Knott, who had announced his retirement, as a consultant to the board regarding COVID-19 and pandemic-related matters and for health and safety issues related to COVID-19, effective October 1, 2021 through May 31, 2022.
In other business, the board approved the following recommendations by Superintendent Michele McClung.
Resignation
1. Melanie Rowland, teacher aide, Flomaton High School, effective November 3, 2021
2. Tammy Waguespack, secretary / bookkeeper, Pollard McCall Junior High School, effective November 30, 2021
3. Cynthia Minchew, bus driver, Brewton Bus Shop, effective November 8, 2021
Employment
1. Andrea Godbolt, central operations clerk, Brewton Central Office, effective November 8, 2021 (replacing Linda Stevenson)(amended date)
2. Jonathan Smith, social studies teacher, Escambia County Middle School, effective November 29, 2021 (replacing Wayne Marshall)
Employment change
1. Eva Rowland, secretary / bookkeeper, Escambia County High School, to elementary teacher, Pollard McCall Junior High School, effective November 9, 2021 (replacing Heather White)
Student expulsion
1. Recommendation for the expulsion of an Escambia County Middle School student for a period of up to one (1) calendar year for violation of the Escambia County School System Board Policy / Student Code of Conduct.