Full-time employees of the Cullman County School System were recognized for extra duties they had performed at the March 2021 board meeting. All full-time employees who had gone beyond their normal job requirements received a one time $500 stipend, with Superintendent Shane Barnette deciding to exempt himself from consideration.

At the same meeting the board approved the use of CARES Act funds to pay for a contract with American Behavioral to provide an employee assistance program to all full-time employees.

Barnette said he felt this service was needed, and that it was important to the board to provide a service to its employees who may have lost a loved one or were experiencing a difficult time due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The system also raised the substitute teacher daily rate of pay from $75 to $125 due to staffing challenges amid the pandemic. The increase began February 1and will last through the remainder of the current school year. The county increase includes current substitutes and those who attended recent orientation classes and are pending state approval.

Typically awarded prior to the school year, Barnette presented the trophy naming Cold Springs High School Cullman County’s School of Excellence for the 2019-2020 school year at a belated celebration.

Barnette said that CSHS had the highest ACT scores, attendance rate, and was tied for highest graduation rate. Outside of the classroom the school won county championships in boys and girls cross country, a state championship in cross country, area and regional championships in girls basketball and won the county sportsmanship award, he said.

State Rep. Corey Harbison filed a bill in April that would let Cullman County voters decide whether the superintendent’s position be an elected one.

Harbison said that the bill was filed in order to fill a campaign promise made during the previous election.

Barnette said that he would like to see the position remain an appointed one, not only while he has the title but in the future also.

Recalling a period when the position would change every few years, Barnette said that continual change in leadership made long-term plans or goals inconceivable.

“It created a situation here in our system, where we just had a lack of stability, so by having it appointed it does create a little more stability,” Barnette said.

Barnette said he didn’t know if he would seek the position if voters returned to an elected superintendent.

Bids were approved to replace the gym floors Elementary schools at Cold Springs, Holly Pond, Hanceville and West Point.

A decision to purchase 10 acres of land in 2014 paid off last May. The property was purchased in order to gain access to a much larger property of Section 16 land that was acquired by the school system from the Alabama Department of Conservation in 2010.

Barnette said that the $2.9 million sale of those 10 acres was essential to the $13.2 million sale of the 430 acres of Section 16 land. 10% of the earnings went toward the system’s general fund in the amount of $1.3 million and the additional $11.88 million being deposited into a trust account.

In a 6-1 decision the board approved an extension of Barnette’s contract at their June meeting. Kerry Neighbors, having been the only member who voted against it stating he hadn’t had a chance to fully review the contract.

Having lifted the requirement of masks for students and faculty, one remnant remained from the system’s COVID-19 procedures. After positive feedback the first two days of school would be split into two groups for students according to their last names.

“We did it last year primarily because of COVID, but it worked so well that we decided to do it again,” Barnette said.

Due to positions becoming vacant, three principals were transferred to the CCBOE central office.

The county saw several changes in administration. Parkside School principal Richard Orr was appointed the new assistant superintendent; Good Hope Primary School principal Tonya Cupp moved to the central office as Director of Instructional Programs; and West Point Elementary School Angie Yarbrough is now Director of Federal Programs.

Caleb Elrod took over as principal of Parkside, Michael Lindsey as the new principal of West Point Elementary and Kristin Williams as the new principal of Good Hope Primary School.

In November Kerry Neighbors was elected as the board’s president with Kenny Brockman elected to serve as vice-president.

Board members gathered with students at Good Hope Middle School in December to celebrate the groundbreaking of a project to construct a new gym and library for the school.

Barnette said the school did not have a gym or a library of their own and had been using the high school facilities. The project is estimated to be complete by January 2023.

Also slotted to receive new facilities is CSHS. During their March meeting the board announced the approval of a bid to begin construction of a new gymnasium for the campus in April.