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The Demopolis Middle School Student of the Month for September is Caden Glen. Pictured are, from left, Superintendent Kyle Kallhoff; DMS Principal Derrick Hester; Glen; and Board Member Floy Mayberry

The Demopolis Middle School Teacher of the Month for September is Amanda Smith. Pictured are, from left, Superintendent Kyle Kallhoff; DMS Principal Derrick Hester; Smith; and Board Member Floy Mayberry.

The Demopolis Middle School Support Staff Member of the Month for September is Rebecca Hasty. Pictured are, from left, Superintendent Kyle Kallhoff; DMS Principal Derrick Hester; Hasty; and Board Member Floy Mayberry.

The Westside Elementary School Student of the Month for September is Herrin Hewitt. Pictured are, from left, Superintendent Kyle Kallhoff; Hewitt’s teacher, Kristina Kallhoff; Hewitt; WES Principal Tisha Lewis; and Board Member Conrad Murdoch.

The Westside Elementary School Teacher of the Month for September is Penny Stanford. Pictured are, from left, Superintendent Kyle Kallhoff; Stanford; WES Principal Tisha Lewis; and Board Member Conrad Murdoch.

The Westside Elementary School Support Staff Member of the Month for September is Mary Ellen McCrory. Pictured are, from left, Superintendent Kyle Kallhoff; McCrory; WES Principal Tisha Lewis; and Board Member Conrad Murdoch.

The Demopolis Board of Education approved its FY2020 budget Monday, with total anticipated revenues of $22.7 million and expenditures of $22.9 million.

The school system is receiving less funding for teacher units in the coming year, which is based on student enrollment. Last year, the system was funded for 130.29 teacher units, but that has decreased to 125.78 for 2019-20. The total units, which includes teachers, counselors, principals, etc., has decreased from 145.54 to 141.03.

The budget also includes a statewide four percent pay increase for teachers, which was also approved during Monday’s meeting.

Demopolis schools will spend much of its budget on instruction where $12.4 million is planned, as well as an additional $3.4 for instructional support.

In total, the system is budgeting to receive an increase of about $84,000 and an increase of about $439,000 in local funding. Federal funds are budgeted to decrease about $17,000.

The system anticipates a FY-ending fund balance of $6.2 million. The fund balance entering the FY is $6.5 million.

The board also approved a proposal from Mitchell’s Contracting Services for resurfacing and parking projects at Demopolis Middle School, U.S. Jones Elementary, and Demopolis High School where parking spaces will be added to the main school entry loop.

In other action taken by the board, two first readings of revised policies regarding the Child Nutrition Program were approved.

Two contracts were entered, one with Learning Tree and another with Rainbow Consulting Agency, to provide services geared toward positive behavior support, special needs, and professional development.

The board entered into an agreement with Government Capital for the installation of 57 Promethean touchscreens in classrooms. The system has been working with Government Capital to install the boards within the system’s schools.

A personnel report was approved, adding new substitutes and naming Jesse Miles an assistant varsity football coach.

The system also recognized its Teacher, Support Staff, and Student of the Month. This month’s honorees came from Westside Elementary and DMS. WES Student of the Month was second grader Herrin Hewitt; Teacher of the Month was Penny Stanford; and Support Staff Member of the Month was Mary Ellen McCrory.

Honorees at DMS were: Student of the Month, Caden Glen; Teacher of the Month, Amanda Smith; and Support Staff Member of the Month, Rebecca Hasty.

(This article originally appeared in the Wednesday, September 18 issue of the Demopolis Times.)