Cullman City Schools Finance Director Russell Raney discusses the proposed fiscal 2017 budget during an August 2016 board meeting.

The Cullman City Board of Education recognized award-winning schools along with its chief finance officer during its meeting Monday.

East Elementary has once again been named a Blue Ribbon Lighthouse School, the second time it’s been selected for the national recognition since 2008.

Schools are identified and selected for the award based on achievement of excellent performance in all nine major categories of the Blueprint for Excellence assessment. East Elementary will be honored in December during an awards ceremony at the annual Blue Ribbon Schools Blueprint for Excellence Conference at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort in Orlando.

On Monday, the school board also honored Cullman Middle School for being named the 2017 National Beta School of Merit while the Cullman City Primary School received the Cullman Chamber of Commerce’s 2016-2017 “Building a Sense of Community” Award for its Outdoor Learning Center.

Cullman City Schools Chief Finance Officer Russell Raney was also recognized for receiving the Alabama Association of School Business Officials’ Robert L. Morton Award.

In other business, the Cullman City Board of Education: 

* Approved the Head Start 2016-2017 Supplemental Budget Application for a 1% COLA in the amount of $9,323.00 

* Approved the revised FY 2017 Head Start Salary Schedules (includes 1% COLA).

* Approved the 2017-2018 Head Start Grant Application/Budget 

* Approved the Head Start 2017-2018 Long-Range Goals/Short-Term Objectives 

* Approved the Head Start 2017-2018 School Readiness Goals and Action Plan 

* Approved the Head Start 2016-2017 Self-Assessment and Improvement Plan 

* Approved the Head Start 2017-2018 Training and Technical Assistance (T/TA) Plan 

* Approved the FY 2018 Head Start Salary Schedules.

* Approved the Dyslexia/Intervention Teacher Job Description. 

* Approved to bid #06-26-17-02 and accept the lowest responsible bidder for occupational and physical therapy services. 

* Approved to adopt and accept the agreement with Great Minds, LLC, for the purchase of their ELA program, Wit and Wisdom, and the trade books that accompany the program for West Elementary School.

* Approved the Cullman City Schools Foster Care Plan – Alabama Education Stability for Foster Students that was developed in collaboration with the Cullman County Board of Education and Cullman County Department of Human Resources.

* Approved the Cullman City Head Start Community Partnership Agreements with The Crossing and Wallace State Adult Education for the 2017-2018 school year.

* Approved Head Start to contract with Dr. James Thomas of Alabama Urgent Care and Specialty Clinic to provide TB screenings.  

* Approved Head Start to contract with Urgent Care Center to provide TB screenings. 

* Approved to pave the side parking lot at Cullman City Primary School. 

* Approved to contract with Sandi Dunlap Allred and pay $75 stipend to attend medication training on July 20 or July 25.

* Approved to contract with Kalysha Whittle to work a maximum of five days during the 2017-2018 school year to complete the duties and requirements associated with Head Start Health, Nutrition and Safety Manager.

* Approved to contract with Lucero Michaus-Lejarazo to translate documents and prepare for the 2017-2018 school year at Cullman City Head Start.

* Approved to contract with Tammy White to develop three Pre-K budgets, assist in interviews, coordinating purchases for three Pre-K classrooms, and prepare required documentation for submission to OSR

* Approved to contract with John Drake to provide necessary support, maintenance, updates, and operational needs to the CHS television production studio beginning June 6 – Aug. 2 (not to exceed 10 days)

* Approved to contract with Joshua Raney and Jonathan Peyton to provide network support and computer/technology support and maintenance beginning June 26 – Aug. 31.

* Approved to contract with Tera Cabri and Kathy Thornhill to work as teachers in the CCS Bridging the Back to School Gap: EL Summer Program on July 10, July 11, July 28, July 24 and July 25.

* Approved to contract with Tera Cabri to provide early childhood education consultation services for Cullman City Head Start beginning Aug. 1, 2017 – July 31, 2018 

* Approved to contract with Jennifer Shugarts to provide nursing services as needed from June 1- Aug. 2.

* Approved to contract with Kalysha Whittle to provide nursing services as needed from June 1 – Aug. 2.

* Approved to contract with Dori Potter to provide nursing services as needed from June 1- Aug. 2.

* Approved to contract with Shan Goodlett to provide nursing services as needed from June 1- Aug. 2.

* Approved to contract with Mary Pylant to provide educational services on an as needed basis as determined by the Student Services Coordinator from May 25- Aug. 2.

* Approved to contract with Jennifer Callahan to provide educational services on an as needed basis as determined by the Student Services Coordinator from May 25- Aug. 2.

* Approved to contract with Gina Nix to provide educational services on an as needed basis as determined by the Student Services Coordinator from May 25- Aug. 2.

* Approved to contract with Erin Tidwell to provide instructional duties, not to exceed five days, at Cullman High School during the summer of 2017.

* Approved to contract with Heather Battles, Brittney Calvert, Marcia Stringer, and Jade Fitzgerald to attend the one-day training “Ready Rosie – Parenting Curriculum.”

* Approved to contract with Ragan Baumheckel, Lois Bice, Debbie Mann, and Lucero Michaus-Lejarazo to attend a one-day training “Ready Rosie – Parenting Curriculum.”

* Approved to provide a $100 stipend to Crystal Long for providing training at the Dyslexia workshop on June 21. 

* Approved the following personnel considerations:

 – Resignations: Tracy Marsh, third grade teacher at East Elementary School, effective June 7; Sandy Walker, Special Education instructional assistant at Cullman City Primary School, effective June 16. 

 – Leaves of absence: Courtney Speciale, teacher at East Elementary School, requests Family and Medical Leave (FMLA) beginning Nov. 2, followed by a leave of absence for the remainder of the 2017-2018 school year; Kim Canaday, amend leave of absence taken on April 16, 1998 through May 20, 1998 from personal leave to sick leave. 

 – Transfers: Cassie Brooks, transfer from secretary/bookkeeper at Cullman High School to Instructional Assistant/Bookkeeper at Cullman High School, effective July 1, 2017; Melissa Richard, transfer from Bookkeeper-Accounts Payable at Central Office to Bookkeeper at Cullman High School, effective July 1; Carrie Woods, transfer from Special Education instructional assistant at West Elementary School to instructional assistant at Cullman City Primary School, effective Aug. 3; Laura Elizabeth Reid, transfer from Remediation teacher (part-time) at Cullman Middle School to Remediation teacher (full-time) at Cullman Middle School, effective Aug. 3; Aaron Avery, transfer from instructional assistant at Cullman City Primary School to Mathematics teacher at Cullman High School, beginning Aug. 3; Jeremy Peek, transfer from instructional assistant at Turning Point/ISS to Turning Point/ISS teacher, effective Aug. 3. 

 – Contracts: Kim Hall, Principal Contract; David Wiggins, Principal Contract; Jay Page, Principal Contract; Tricia Culpepper, Principal Contract.

 – Supplements: Joseph McPhillips, one-time supplement of $1,300 for boys basketball at Cullman Middle School (Supplement and taxes funded by CMS Tip Off Club); Lauren Shelton, one-time supplement of $1,300 for girls basketball at Cullman Middle School (Supplement and taxes funded by Tip Off Club funds); Stephanie Conner, transfer from Girls Varsity Softball head coach to Girls Varsity Softball assistant coach at Cullman High School, effective June 27. 

 – Employments: Holly Murphree, Pre-K Special Education instructional assistant at Cullman City Primary School, beginning Aug. 3; Ashlee Kuri, Extended Day Program aide at Cullman City Primary School, beginning Aug. 9; Lauren Harbison, Extended Day Program aide at Cullman City Primary School, beginning Aug. 9; Jacob White, temporary custodian at West Elementary School (to fill a leave of absence), beginning June 12; Nichole Heptinstall, temporary 2nd grade teacher at East Elementary School (to fill a leave of absence) beginning Aug. 3, 2017 through May 25, 2018; Hannah Shelton, temporary 5th grade teacher at East Elementary School for the 2017-2018 school year, beginning Aug. 3; Nohealani Naehu, part-time adjunct dance instructor (2 class periods per day) at Cullman High School, beginning Aug. 4; Cindy Ricketts, part-time bookkeeper at Central Office, effective July 1; Cindy Steele, custodian at Cullman High School, beginning July 1.