The Demopolis Board of Education approved an agreement between UWA and the school system to allow teachers to achieve advanced degrees at a discounted rate.

The University of West Alabama’s Teacher Connect program offers a $200 per credit hour discount to Demopolis City Schools teachers while they take classes to attain a higher degree. The degree program is a two-year program that teachers would be able to pay off in 18 months. The school system is required the teachers who go through the program to stay in Demopolis City Schools for three years after receiving their degree, so it is a five-year commitment for the teachers.

During Monday night’s meeting, the board also approved a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) contract, which will be sent home with Demopolis Middle School students Tuesday. The contract is similar to the Internet Usage Policy already in place, but is required for the new BYOD initiative that will begin after Christmas break.

The board approved two overnight travel requests during the meeting. The first was for the Demopolis Middle School boys basketball team, who will travel to Birmingham on Dec. 26-28 to compete in the Westchester Middle School Holiday Classic. The second request was for the Demopolis High School student council to travel to the Alabama Student Council Leadership Conference in Birmingham on March 16-18.

Also during the meeting, the board approved an agreement with the Alabama State Council on the Arts, which is done every year. The Alabama State Council on the Arts awarded the system with a $5,000 grant, and $2,500 will be allotted to Meggin Mayben at DMS, and the other $2,500 to Jody White at DHS.

The council also approved three personnel recommendations from Superintendent Dr. Al Griffin:

•Employ William Jackson as the Westside Elementary general lunchroom worker

•Transfer Traci Stein from special education aide at U.S. Jones to special education worker at Westside

•Approve 20 additional work days in fiscal year 2014 for Donna Rembert Calhoun

In other business, the board took the following action:

•Approve an agreement with West Alabama Public Transportation to transport students. This contract is done each year.

•Approve payroll and expenditures for the month of November 2013