DEMOPOLIS – When superintendent, Dr. Wesley Hill, recommended a pay raise for the DHS baseball coach there was a single abstention when the vote was heard at Monday evening’s BOE meeting.

“I want to recommend the head baseball coach James Moody for a $1,500 pay increase because he has done an outstanding job for a number of years and hasn’t been compensated for it,” Hill said. “He led the team to a state championship and we gave the football coach a raise.”

Although every other board member agreed with Hill, Laura Foster didn’t.

“First of all I think too much emphasis is put on high school athletics,” Foster said. “But if the head coach receives compensation, I think the assistant coaches should be recognized as well. It’s about fairness and equality.”

Earlier in the meeting, more attention was focused on athletics when two Demopolis parents handed the board a list of 645 residents who think a new stadium is a must.

Katy Basinger and Gail Braxton said they want to “establish a starting point in the building of a new stadium.”

“The stadium we have now is 62 years old,” Basinger said. “The visiting team shouldn’t have to go into the school to change when they get here.”

Basinger also mentioned the lack of bathroom facilities for the many spectators and the dysfunctional lights that went off during the DMS game.

Braxton added the field has drainage problems, so when there is bad weather, the field becomes muddy grounds.

“I remember there was a game when the cheerleaders were standing in mud up to their ankles,” she said.

The board was also asked to aid the DHS band in getting 80 new uniforms in the spring.

DHS principal, Dr. Isaac Espy, said his students did well on the graduation exams, but they won’t be satisfied with anything but 100 percent.

The next BOE meeting will be Monday, November 21 at 5:15 p.m.