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The Demopolis Board of Education approved over $2 million worth of contracts for renovations, construction, and ventilation upgrades at the April 19 meeting.

Interim Superintendent Dr. Walter Davie provided reports on the contracts. The lowest bidder for the multipurpose building at Westside Elementary was Kyser Construction in Tuscaloosa. Their bid came in at $2,199,200. A bid by N.C. Morgan Construction came out at $181,550, well below the board’s approved budget of $325,000 for renovations at DMS and U.S. Jones.

Rice Heating and Cooling of Demopolis got contracts for air purifiers for HVAC systems in every school. The bids came in at $23,215 and will be paid for through the CARES Act. The contract for the HVAC system at the WES cafeteria is $24,971.

  Director of the Demopolis City Schools Foundation, Ashley Coplin, provided the board with updates on the organization’s upcoming events and grants that were presented in Fall 2020. The Foundation awarded $45,000 in grants last fall, and a new set of grants will be announced in early May.

  Coplin also spoke on the upcoming event “A Night of Lights,” a virtual silent auction. The event will be live on Facebook on April 28 at 6:30 p.m. Three groups from DHS will participate in the auction: DHS Tiger Studios, Tiger Arts Guild, and DHS marketing students.

  The board reviewed and revised contracts for the principals at Westside, U.S. Jones, and DMS. Westside principal Tisha Lewis’s two-year contract expired and was revised at the board meeting. Her new contract is now for three years and one month. Contracts for Bridgett Powell (USJ) and Derrick Hester (DMS) were also extended to three years and one month.

  Items approved by the board:

• Approved the MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) with Vanderbilt University to allow student teachers from the university to be placed in Demopolis schools
• Approved revision of pay of summer learning program
• Approved Interquest Detection Canines for August 2021-May 2022
• Approved Mathematics Textbook Adoption for 2021-2022
• Approved Field Trips and Out of State/Overnight requests from: DMS for trips to Disney World in February 2022 and Washington, D.C. in May 2022 and, DHS JROTC-Cadet Leadership Camp May 28-31 in Columbiana.

Personnel Report

Resignations/Terminations

• Resignation of Stacy Syd Johnston, Math Teacher at DHS, effective 6-1-2021
• Resignation of Andrew Lowery, Career Prep/Health Teacher at DHS, effective 5-28-2021. Resigned also as Assistant Varsity Coach and Head Middle School baseball coach
• Resignation of Calen Lowery, Math Teacher at DHS, effective 6-4-2021. Also resigned as Head Varsity Girls basketball team coach and Assistant Varsity Girls’ softball coach

Conditional Employment

• Dionne Reese as elementary teacher at U.S. Jones Elementary, effective 8-6-2021
• Cheyenne Martin as elementary teacher at U.S. Jones Elementary, effective 8-6-2021, pending certification (graduates May 2021)
• Amanda Powell as elementary teacher at U.S. Jones Elementary, effective 8-6-2021
• Dominique Collins as elementary teacher at Westside Elementary, effective 8-6-2021, pending certification (graduates May 2021)
• Courtney Smith as elementary teacher at Westside Elementary, effective 8-6-2021, pending certification (graduates May 2021)

Substitutes

• Michael Coats with sub license to work lunchroom and custodial
• Riley Benson with sub license to work lunchroom and custodial

Miscellaneous

• Modify return date for FMLA of Casey Morgan, lunchroom worker at DMS, from 4-5-2021 to anticipated return date of 4-26-2021
• Leroy Harris, custodian at DMS, requesting FMLA beginning 4-7-2021 with anticipated return date of 4-28-2021
• The next Demopolis Board of Education meeting will be Friday, May 14, at 2 p.m.