The Cullman County School Board elected new officers for the coming year during Tuesday’s meeting, with Kerry Neighbors being elected board president and Kenny Brockman being elected vice-president. 

Neighbors will be taking over as president from Shane Rusk, who has served as president for the past year. 

Cullman County Schools Superintendent Shane Barnette said Rusk will be recognized during next month’s meeting for the work he has done as president, and thanked him for taking on the position.

“I would like to say how much we appreciate how you’ve done this past year, because you’ve done a great job,” he said.  

The board also approved a $3.84 million bid from Eidson & Associates for the project at Good Hope Middle School to build a new library, office complex and gym. 

Neighbors said the project has been long overdue, and while every other school is also in need of capital projects, approving Good Hope Middle School’s means a lot for the rest of the schools on the same campus. 

He said the board, Barnette and Chief School Financial Officer Ed Roberson have done a good job being stewards of the people of Cullman County’s money, which has allowed for Good Hope’s project and similar projects around the county. 

“I’m so thrilled to be just a small part in what’s going on in the community,” he said. “There’s so many positive things, so thank you to the board for this.”

In other business, the board:

• Approved to pay the following for up to five unused annual leave days: Tiffanye Michell.
• Approved 2021-2022 Afterschool programs and personnel (personnel paid by local school funds): Harmony ($16 an hour)- Cassie Swann, MaKenna Woodruff.
• Approved the following before and after school tutors effective Oct. 1, paid $40 an hour at least two days a week from 3-5 p.m:
• Good Hope Middle School- Rebecca McSpadden and Jennifer Swann; Vinemont Elementary School- Linsey Hudson, Amy Page, Karen Hanson and Anna Chambers.
• Approved a request from Fairview Middle School to pay Kenny Griffin $1,200 for DragonFly and Athletic Director duties, paid by local school funds.
• Approved a request from Fairview High School to pay Katie Ball a $500 supplement for serving as an assistant volleyball coach, paid by Fairview High School volleyball boosters.
• Approved a request from Hanceville Middle School to pay Amanda Reid $60 per game to clean the middle school gym after each home basketball game for the 2021-2022 season, paid by local school funds.
• Approved a request from Hanceville Middle School to pay Kathy Day $12 per basketball game (home and away) to keep score books, paid by Tip-Off Club account. 
• Approved a request from Holly Pond High School to pay Jeff Horton $75 per game for cleaning high school and middle school gym after each home game, $20 per game for setting up concessions before each game and $75 per game to validate tickets. 
• Approved a request from Vinemont Elementary School to pay Lance Lay and Kerry Thompson $300 each for refinishing the gym floor, paid by local school funds. 
• Approved a request from Vinemont Middle School to pay Lance Lay and Kerry Thompson $300 each for refinishing the gym floor, paid by local school funds. 
• Approved a request from West Point Middle School to pay Shanda Garner $1,000 for extra duties associated with fall and winter athletics, paid by local school funds.
• Approved the following out-of-state field trip requests:
• Good Hope High School cheerleaders traveling to Sevierville, Tennessee on Dec. 17 for the National Qualifier Competition. 
• Good Hope High School cheerleaders traveling to Orlando, Florida on Feb. 9 for the National Cheer Competition.
• West Point High School scholars bowl traveling to Glasgow, Kentucky on Jan. 28 for the National Invitational Tournament.
• Vinemont High School FFCLA traveling to Ashville, North Carolina on April 25. 
• Approved September 2021 bills and salaries in the amount of $11,575,393.77.
• Approved a request to declare the Boiler System and Installation bid an emergency due to weather conditions.
• The Cullman County School Board will next meet on Dec. 16 in the Central Office Board Room, with a work session beginning at 3:30 p.m. and the meeting immediately following.