Board approves action items at special-called meeting
Special to the Enquirer
The Hartselle City Schools Board of Education convened July 30 to approve several important items at a specialcalled meeting.
They declared certain assets as surplus, including an outdated Mimo projector from Barkley Bridge Elementary School and old cafeteria serving lines from Hartselle Intermediate School, which are slated to be sold through GovDeals.
In personnel-related decisions, the Board approved updated pay rates for hourly workers, athletic events, and substitutes. They also added the Teachers’ Bill of Rights to the Hartselle City Schools Board Policy. The meeting addressed multiple staff leaves: Ivan Bello will be on leave from July 15 through Aug. 13; Alice Anne Cothran will be on leave from Aug. 2 through Oct. 15, as a special education teacher at Hartselle High School; Christina Shannon will be away from Aug. 18 through Oct. 25, from her role as an elementary teacher at Crestline Elementary School; and Baylee Southerland will be on leave from Aug. 2 through Sept. 27 as a special education teacher at F.E. Burleson Elementary School.
The Board also addressed several resignations. Jessica Aldrich will resign from her position as an instructional aide, effective Aug. 5. Ashlee Cassel is stepping down as a special education teacher at Hartselle High School, effective July 25. Chelsea Gargus, a child nutrition worker, and Carley Howse, a pre-K auxiliary teacher, are resigning effective Aug., and July 25, respectively. Additionally, Anna Marie Perrin will leave her role as a school counselor at Hartselle Junior High School on July 22. Jesse Perrin will resign from his roles as history teacher, assistant football coach, and golf coach at Hartselle High School, effective July 25, while Cade Pressnell will step down as a history teacher at Hartselle Junior High School, effective July 22.
Karen Pendley will retire from her position as a bus driver, effective Sept. 1. New employment contracts were approved for Katie Carter, who will take on the role of instructional aide with her first assignment at F.E. Burleson Elementary School, and Carson Daniel, who will join Hartselle High School as a history teacher and assis-tant football coach, starting Aug. 2. James Lindsey will begin his role as custodian at Hartselle High School on Aug. 1, pending background clearance. Clayton Malke will start as a history teacher at Hartselle Junior High School on Aug. 2. Sarah Sanders and LeAnn Thrasher will join as instructional aide and child nutrition worker, respectively, with Sanders’ first assignment at Crestline Elementary School and Thrasher’s at the same school.
Additional duties were approved for various staff members, including payments for those working in the Hartselle City Schools Extended Day Programs for the 2024-25 school year and for specific roles such as summer school driver’s education and midday bus routes for the Alabama Craft Academy. New and returning substitutes were added to the list, including Olivia Johnson, Chelsea Gargus, Tosha Barton and Jessica Aldrich, with Amanda Bullard, Belinda Kay and Amy Robinson filling long-term substitute positions.
Retiree contracts were established for Jeff Hanners, Amanda Key, Larry Long, Susan Martin, Gary Orr, Amy Robinson, and Wanda Thompson for various parttime roles and positions for the 2024-25 school year. Non-employee agreements were made for Kelly Cimino as the debate team sponsor and Jenny Faulk as the dance team sponsor for the same school year.
In athletics, the board approved retiree agreements for Janice Bell and John Bell as athletic ticket coor-dinators, and Gary Orr as an assistant football coach.
Non-employee agreements included Heather Bennett as the fishing coach, Valarie Green as the HHS basketball concession stand coordinator, Leonard Morris as an assistant basketball coach, Jamie Nelson as the girls JV assistant soccer coach, Chris Johnson as the boys JV assistant soccer coach, Chris Pressnell as the tennis coach and tennis pro, Sandra Schmidt as the assistant track and field and cross-country coach, Joey Schutt as the assistant wrestling coach, and Laura Taube as the eighth grade volleyball coach.
The board also approved the resignation of member Monty Vest. The next board meeting is scheduled for Aug. 20 at the Central Office.
