BOE, Ford reach agreement; contract signed
By DON FLETCHER
News Staff Writer
Although Escambia County Board of Education members tackled 16 “action items” and approved the expenditure of $388,000 for various curricular and technologic purchases during their June 13 meeting, it was the first item that created the most excitement.
For the first time since February 29, the county school system has a full-time employee in the vacant Chief Schools Financial Officer (CSFO) chair.
There was a collective sigh of relief after Attorney Kirk Garrett announced to the board that he and Board President Loumeek White had come to terms with Avery Ford, who currently serves as CSFO for Conecuh County Schools.
“I’m pleased to report to the board that we have negotiated with Mr. Ford over the course of the last 10 days or so, and we have a signed contract in hand that needs to be approved by you; Mr. Ford signed it yesterday afternoon,” Garrett said of the system’s new chief accountant. “I recommend you approve the contract as provided to you yesterday. If you approve it, then Mr. White can sign it and we’ll have a fully executed contract.”
After a unanimous vote to approve the pact, White was the first to raise a verbal toast to the hiring.
“The ‘ayes’ have it; we have us a CSFO,” he said, leading to a brief round of applause from the board members.
Ford was selected recently from two candidates (Flomaton Town Clerk Carrie Moore was the other) after both were interviewed by BOE members. Those interviews were necessary after Garrett and White were unable to come to terms with former school system accounting specialist Kristal Wardrop, who had been selected after a similar process.
“We are excited to have a new CSFO,” White said after last week’s meeting. “We are so glad to have this one hurdle out of the way. I feel confident that we will move forward on a positive note with Mr. Ford.”
BOE members also approved 24 personnel actions, including the hiring of Jennifer Strawbridge as the mental health coordinator for county schools. Strawbridge will replace Kike Pettaway, who recently resigned.
Former W.S. Neal High and Flomaton High English teacher Jennifer Lee, recently named to replace Toya McMillian as principal at Rachel Patterson Elementary School, attended the meeting.
In other business conducted during the meeting, board members:
* Approved the 2024-2025 Code of Conduct, which had been tabled for 30 days.
* Approved a Board Policy Revision concerning the use of metal detectors, an item that had also been tabled for 30 days.
*Approved an amended salary schedule
*Approved a contract with KAM Technologies for a cable project at A.C. Moore Primary School. The cost ($33,760.14) will be paid from Advancement and Technology (A&T) funds.
* Approved a contract with IXL Learning for educational technology services. The $34,650 cost will be paid from Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Act (ESSER) funds.
* Approved the purchase from Zaner-Bloser of K-3 handwriting curriculum. The $22,023.38 cost will be paid from ESSER funds.
* Approved the purchase of two-year Do The Math student/teacher digital licenses and materials from Heinemann in the amount of $144,278.99. The cost will be paid from ESSER funds.
* Approved the purchase of 200 Lenovo 100e MTK Chromebooks from Arey Jones Educational Solutions. The $71,366 cost will be paid from A and T funds.
* Approved the purchase for $22,441 of career and life skills curriculum from Education Associates. The cost will be paid from Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) funds.
* Approved the purchase of a one-year subscription to Insights to Behavior’s behavior management solution from Briton Education LLC. The $17,445 cost will be paid from ESSER funds.
* Approved the purchase of six Viewsonic boards for A.C. Moore Primary School for $25,746.66 and four Viewsonic boards for Flomaton at a cost of $17,164.44 from Arey Jones Educational Solutions. The purchase will be paid for with A and T funds.
* Approved the one-year extension of a CNP Beverage Bid #2020-5 awarded to Trident Beverage in 2020, from August 1, 2024 to July 31, 2025.
* Approved a one-year extension of the CNP Milk Products Bid #2020-4 awarded in 2020 to Borden Dairy, from August 1, 2024 to July 31, 2025.
* Approved a CNP Supplemental Bid, Stateline Bid Cooperative, with Osborn Foodservice for procurement of supplemental food and supply items not currently available as part of the statewide purchasing bid.
* Decided to conduct their July regular meeting at the Atmore Central Office on Friday, July 12, at 9:30 a.m.
* Set a special meeting, mainly to take care of personnel matters, for 9:30 a.m. on Monday, June 24, at the Brewton Central Office.
The following personnel recommendations by Escambia County School Superintendent Dr. Michele Collier were approved by the Board.
The following abbreviations are used:
Escambia County Board of Education – ECBOE
A.C. Moore Primary School – ACMPS
K-5 Alternative School – K-5AS
Huxford Elementary School – HES
Rachel Patterson Elementary School – RPES
Escambia County Middle School – ECMS
Escambia County High School – ECHS
Flomaton Elementary School – FES
Flomaton High School – FHS
Pollard McCall Junior High School – PMJHS
W.S. Neal Elementary School – WSNES
W.S. Neal Middle School – WSNMS
W.S. Neal High School – WSNHS
Turtle Point Science Center – TPSC
Escambia County Alternative School – ECAS
Escambia Career Readiness Center – ECRC
Atmore Bus Shop – ABS
Brewton Bus Shop – BBS
Academic Recovery Response Plan Summer– ARRPS
Child Nutrition Program Summer Feeding – CNPSF
Retirement
1. Shannon Folsom, bus driver, BBS, effective May 31, 2024
2. Paul Pearson, bus driver, ABS, effective June 1, 2024
Resignation
1. Shonnan Taylor, 6-hour lunchroom worker, ECHS, effective May 13, 2024
Employment
1. David Strickland, PE teacher, FES, effective August 1, 2024, replacing Troy Brown
2. Sunni Jackson, instructional aide, FES, effective August 1, 2024, replacing Tracy Padgett
3. Rebecca White, counselor, HES, effective August 1, 2024, replacing Jennifer Strawbridge
4. Nicholas Golden, science teacher, PMJHS, effective August 1, 2024, replacing Eva Rowland
5. Nikki Golden, elementary teacher, PMJHS, effective August 1, 2024, replacing Noelle Morris
6. Toby Jenkins, PE teacher, PMJHS, effective August 1, 2024, replacing Ronald Hall
7. Shawaungela DeLoach, assistant principal, RPES, effective July 24, 2024, replacing Raquel Davis
8. Megan Hall, special education teacher, WSNMS, effective August 1, 2024, replacing Paula Spicer
Transfer
1. Amy Bedsole, teacher aide, from ECMS, to HES, effective August 1, 2024, replacing Deborah Peterson
2. Devin Redditt, special education aide, from ECMS, to HES, effective August 1, 2024
3. Allison Mallett, elementary teacher, from RPES, to HES, effective August 1, 2024, replacing Brittany Linam
4. Raquel Davis, assistant principal, from RPES, to FES, effective July 24, 2024
Summer employment
1. Desi Lee, ARRPS site coordinator, FES, effective June 5, 2024
2. Jennifer Singleton, ARRPS literacy camp teacher (sub), FES, June 5, 2024
3. Jennifer Lee, ARRPS site coordinator, RPES, June 5, 2024
4. Suzette Barron, ARRPS custodian, RPES, effective June 18, 2024
5. Morgan Andrews, ARRPS site coordinator, WSNES, effective June 10, 2024
6. Heather Lindsey, ARRPS literacy camp teacher, WSNES, June 5, 2024
7. Vanessa Mealer, ARRPS custodian, WSNHS, effective June 18, 2024
8. Percy Waldrop, ARRPS special needs bus driver, BBS, June 5, 2024
9. Katie Clay, ARRPS special needs bus aide, BBS, June 5, 2024
Rehire
1. Jennifer Strawbridge, mental health coordinator, ECBOE, effective July 24, 2024, replacing Kike Pettaway