By Trent Moore

Staff Writer

A handful of Cullman County schools are set to receive some minor upgrades soon.

Construction change orders for Harmony School and Holly Pond Elementary School, as well as some maintenance work at Good Hope School, has been approved by the Cullman County Board of Education. The projects total approximately $56,000 worth of work.

The Harmony School expansion change order marks the first one approved for the project. The $10,370 order will furnish and install new storm piping, change a ships ladder in the gym mezzanine to regular stairs and use 6” pipe instead of 4” pipe for the eight classroom buildings on campus. A $1,552 credit to remove extra termite treatment was also accepted.

Maintenance Supervisor Ron Whaley said the ships ladder was upgraded to stairs to make a second level storage closet more accessible.

Replacement of the old canopy at Good Hope Elementary School was also approved. The work will be done by Tennessee Valley Metals, Inc., at a cost of $20,858.

“The old canopy leaked so bad, so we had to replace it,” Whaley said.

At Good Hope High School, approximately $6,286 of work for the softball field concession stand was also greenlit. The stand is set to receive new steel stairs and handrails, as well as new gutters and downspouts. The work will be done by Steel Fab Solutions and David Chambers Gutters, respectively.

Whaley said the stairs were originally supposed to be wood, though the decision was later made to use steel for safety concerns.

A $46,688 credit deduction on the Holly Pond Elementary School project was also accepted by the board. The credit is the result of removing sales tax savings on material costs for the project, which is lower because the work is for a school system.

Along with the credit deduction, $11,907 of work to undercut unsuitable soil found during site preparation for footers and concrete slab, the rerouting and repair of seam lines and 2” PVC line encountered during the installation of storm pipes between the existing gym was also greenlit.

Another change order for Holly Pond, related to the ongoing re-roofing project, was also accepted. The extension of a concrete ramp to replace an existing wooden ramp, the addition of a firewall in a storage room in the library and west wall work to insure it meets state codes were all approved. The total work is estimated to cost $6,674.

Whaley said the wooden ramp was damaged and in need of replacement, and noted the new firewall is the result of a separating wall being held to state fire code.

All of the projects listed are already underway, or set to begin soon.

The board also:

‰ Approved the January 22 and February 13 meeting minutes.

‰ Approved the resignations by retirement of:

— Joyce Huffstuttler, seventh grade English teacher at West Point Middle School.

— Tammy Speakman, physical education teacher at Holly Pond High School.

‰ Approved a leave of absence for Hanceville High School teacher Shaunna Aker.

‰ Approved the transfer of:

— Keith Carter, from homebound teacher (3/7 unit), Child Development Center, to homebound teacher (as needed) at the Child Development Center.

‰ Approved the appointment of:

— Rodger D. Walling, part-time substitute parent project for C.A.R.E.

— Myra Michael, system-wide.

‰ Approved the appointments of substitute teachers: Karri Moore, Lacosta Bright, Daniel Allison, Blakeley Burns, Samuel Dingler, Mary Fannin, John Givens, Dillon Lee, Kevin Moss, Mayra Murphy, April Shadden and Andrea Taylor.

‰ Approved the appointment of Tommi Garmon, substitute nurse.

‰ Approved contract and salary changes for:

— Emily Megan Brown, upgrade to master’s degree.

— Elizabeth Grace Metcalfe, upgrade to master’s degree.

‰ Approved a joint purchasing agreement between the Cullman County Commission on Education and the Cullman County Commission/Cullman County Engineering Department.

‰ Approved a one year standing bid with Stellar Kwal Paint, of Birmingham, for paint.

‰ Approved a one year standing bid with DCA Ready Mix, of Cullman, for concrete.

‰ Approved plans to pay Tony Smithson $250 per semester for his work as budget administrator of the Youth Organized for Disaster Action) YODA grant. He will be paid with funds from the grant.

‰ Approved the December 2008 and January 2008 bills and salaries.

‰ Approved the December 2008 and January 2009 financial statement.

‰ Approved the fiscal year 2009 budget amendment #1, based on the revised stated allocations reduced by 9 percent.

‰ Approved utilizing flexibility on various line items in the fiscal year 2009 budget.

‰ Approved a request form West Point High School to hire Eric Carver, Saint Bernard Prep School teacher, as an assistant baseball coach.

‰ Granted permission for the Good Hope softball booster club to take out a loan to purchase a $2,500 riding lawn mower for use on the field.

‰ Approved the extension of the building lease with Marcas Systems on a month-to-month basis for the Drop In For Success program for the reminder of the 2008-2009 school year. The lease will be paid with funds from a grant by State Farm Insurance.

‰ Approved a request from the Vinemont High School quarterback club to pay the coaching staff for additional work required to maintain the football field and stadium. Alan Scott will be paid $1,300. Robin Netherton, Dean Trimble, Todd Johnson and A.J. Lamar will be paid $800.

‰ Approved a resolution between the Cullman County Board of Education and the Cullman Electric Cooperative accepting responsibility for an increased loan amount up to $35,000 for lights on the Holly Pond softball field. Payments will be made by the school. The board also approved the loan.

‰ Approved the notification of Samantha Etheredge, special education aide at Vinemont Elementary School, of the non-renewal of her contract effective March 10, 2009, because the student she taught has moved from the district. The board approved authorization to provide to her notice in writing 15 calendar days prior to the effective date.

‰ Approved the 2009-2010 school calendar.

‰ Considered the head lice policy.

‰ Announced the next meeting for March 19 at 6:30 p.m. at the central office, and the next workshop for March 10, 6 p.m. at the board room.



‰ Trent Moore can be reached by e-mail at trentm@cullmantimes.com, or by telephone at 734-2131, ext. 225.