When Cullman County Schools first launched its Families Initiative at the beginning of the school year, one of the programs main goals was to be actively engaged in community outreach programs. Child Development Center Principal Chris Chambers did just that with a recent coin drive to raise funds for a local non-profit.

“The community is always doing something for the CDC, so we wanted to do something with the families program to give back,” Chambers said.

Chambers said that the competition was intense as students, parents and faculty deposited their change into their family’s banks. Ultimately the Respect family was able to collect the largest amount of coins.

The ultimate winner in the competition though was the Cullman chapter of the Truth in Nature non-profit. Chambers spoke highly of the organization’s work that helps to guide fatherless young males throughout life.

During the Jan. 12 CCBOE board meeting, Chambers presented Truth in Nature Program Director Brian Burchett with a check of $434.08 that was raised over the course of the competition.

The board also recognized a group of Vinemont High School students for their win in December’s INSPIRESS competition hosted by the University of Alabama in Huntsville.

As part of the competition, each team is given a specific destination in deep space and they must then creative an objective to study in that location, design a cargo payload to execute that objective and perform all the calculations to correctly reach and land at their destination.

Under the team name RHAD, the group from Vinemont bested STEM specific schools from Huntsville, South Carolina and North Carolina to become the first all female team to bring home an overall win in the competitions 12-year-history.

In other business the board:

• Held a seating of new board members. Board membership is unchanged from the previous year with the exception of Kerry Neighbors being nominated as this years Board President.
• Accepted the following resignations: Doyle Robertson (Chief School Financial Officer), Bobby Freeman (Bus Driver from Harmony) and Kayla Drake (Pre-K Auxiliary Teacher from Welti).
• Approved the following leaves of absence: Fairview Elementary Teacher Emily Hope (

1/30/23-3/3/23), Child Nutrition Worker Jodie Smith (11/28/22-1/4

• /23) and Good Hope High School TEAMS Teacher Natasha Holder (4/3/23-5/30/23).
• Approved the transfer of Good Hope High School Bus Driver Anita Nunn to the position of Good Hope Primary Child Nutrition Worker.
• Approved the appointments of the following personnel: Courtney Speegle (Fairview Elementary Teacher), Alan Jones (Good Hope High School Bus Driver), Tammy McClendon (Harmony Bust Driver), Brittany Komor (Temporary Parkside Elementary Teacher) and Tara Hunt (Systemwide Speech/Language Patholoigist).
• Approved the following substitutes: Maxwell Shumaker (Bus Driver), Lindsie Robertson (Nurse), Deborah Garrison (Teacher), Rodney Spruill (Teacher) and Sarah Galvan (Teacher/CNP).

Approved the contract/salary changes for the following personnel: Jeffrey Carter (upgrade to Education Specialist),

• Courtney Coots (Upgrade to Education Specialist), Hayden Voce (Upgrade to Education Specialist) and Sonda McCain (Harmony School Secretary).
• Approved Sarah Finley as a volunteer coach for the Parkside volleyball and middle school girls basketball teams.
• Approved the request to temporarily pay Ed Roberson to perform as needed CSFO duties until the position is filled permanently.
• Approved the request from Cold Springs High School to pay William Johnson $1,250 for extra duties associated with the band to be paid by Cold Springs High Band Boosters.
• Approved the request from Fairview High School to pay Stacey Gardner $500 for Assistant Softball Coaching duties from the 2022 season.
• Approved the request from West Point Middle School to pay Donald Lynn $500 and Steven Harbison $500 for extra duties associated with coaching middle school basketball.
• Approved for before and after school tutors to be paid $40 per hour.
• Approved the out of state field trip request from Cold Springs Elementary to visit the Chattanooga Aquarium on March 14.
• Approved the out of state field trip request from the West Point High School Scholar’s Bowl Team to attend the National Championship Tournament April 26-30.
• Approved the bid of $1,690,516 from Coston General Contractors for a new media addition at Vinemont High School.
• Approved the bid of $3,875,500 from Blalock Building Co. for a new home economics and vocational/agriculture facility at Hanceville High School.