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By JOYANNA LOVE | Managing Editor

The Chilton County Board of Education has unanimously approved a new bid for the six classroom addition for Chilton County High School after the state Building Commission rejected the original bid that had been approved.

Initially, the lowest bid on the project had been $2.89 million and was approved in November. However, since the deadline listed on the contract had already expired when it reached the state Building Commission, the project was not approved, according to Chilton County Schools Superintendent Jason Griffin.

The project was rebid with the lowest bid coming in at $3.288 million. During the March 15 meeting, the school board accepted this bid and awarded the project to Wyatt General Contractors.

There had been a delay in approving this project when a motion for the initial bid for seven classrooms and a science lab, which was priced at $3.3 million at the time, failed in September. The project was then rebid as six classrooms. It was this bid that had been accepted by the board, but was rejected by the state.

Also during the meeting, the board voted to seek an attorney general’s opinion on whether the school system could contribute funding to the construction of the countywide emergency communications system. This system would move emergency communications to P25 radios using communication towers throughout the county. A need for additional towers has arisen for maximum coverage. The project is one that the Chilton County 911 Board has been working on for years. The system could be used by school system SROs and bus drivers.

Personnel was a major topic of discussion at the March 15 meeting as the board approved 10 resignation or retirements, including teachers Rebecca Barron, Patrick Johnson and Christian Nicole Ivey; drivers Tera Easterling, Delilah Smitherman and Tina Lewis; child nutrition employees JoAnn Hall and Misty Cowart; maintenance worker Russell Jones and custodian Donna Gore.

Two administrative positions were approved. William Reece was named principal of PASS Academy for the next year and Kristina Parrish was named coordinator of elementary (Pre-K to sixth grade) to work at the Central Office.

The school board also approved:

• Terminating a classified employee and putting another classified employee on an unpaid suspension for five days.
• Settling a dispute with an employee out of court.
• Site directors for the Summer Learning Camp.
• A coaching supplement for CCHS. Board Vice President Chris Smith and members Diane Calloway, Brad Carter, Keith Moore and Lori Patterson voted in favor. Board President Pam Price and Jacqueline Sullivan abstained from the vote.