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By JOYANNA LOVE | Managing Editor  

The Chilton County Board of Education is preparing for next school year with a focus on hiring needed personnel.  

The board approved 10 certified employees and five classified employees at its June 13 meeting. New certified employees included a new counselor at Isabella to replace recently retired Amy Ballew, a teacher for Jemison Middle, two teachers for Jemison High School, a counselor for LeCroy Career Technical Center, two teachers for Chilton County High School, a STEM Academy teacher for LeCroy Career Technical Center and a counselor who will work at Clanton Elementary and Clanton Intermediate.  

Three Child Nutrition Program employees, a custodian and a secretary/ bookkeeper were hired under classified personnel.  

Approval was also given for Superintendent Jason Griffin to move forward with negotiating contracts for TEAMS teachers. This program offers higher salaries to math and science teachers that meet the requirements.  

With Nic Cardwell as the new technology director, the board approved the department’s request to pursue hiring someone that would work with the Power Schools program, rather than filling Cardwell’s position.  

Five resignations/ retirements, including two Chilton County High School teachers, were accepted.  

A memorandum of agreement with the state Department of Education Reading Initiative was approved.  

A motion to send out bids to upgrade school signs to digital (or providing portable signs for those who already had newer digital signs) failed. Board members Lori Patterson and Diane Calloway as well as Vice President Chris Smith voted in favor. However, the motion needed four votes to pass. Board President Pam Price and board member Jacqueline Sullivan voted against. Board members Keith Moore and Brad Carter were absent. The upgrades would have been paid for through Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funding. Griffin said the state approved using the funds for this because it was for communication.  

Price asked if these funds could be used for something else, and Griffin said yes.  

“There is a fundraising component to it as well because they can sell ads on it,” Griffin said.  

Getting bids for installing air conditioning in school gyms was approved with Price as the lone vote against.  

Smith asked if this would include adding insulation. Griffin said yes. 

Griffin explained that the ESSER funds could be used for this because it “falls under air quality control for health and safety.” 

Price asked if this could be used for bullet proof glass or to fund SROs, which are two things that schools have requested.  

“These funds can’t be used for that,” Griffin said, commenting that the safety component was focused specifically on health.  

The next meeting of the board will be July 19 at 6 p.m. at the Chilton County Schools Central Office.