The Cullman County Board of Education approved an ambitious plan to restructure PreK classrooms at three of its campuses during its monthly meeting on Thursday, Feb. 20.

According to a press release sent to The Times on Thursday, rapidly increasing enrollment numbers have placed a particular strain on several of the system’s PreK classrooms. In an effort to address this issue while maximizing its available resources, the CCBOE announced what it described as an “organizational plan,” for Hanceville, Holly Pond, Harmony and Welti elementary schools.

Hanceville

The largest structural change will occur at the Hanceville campus, where the currently vacant elementary building will undergo a hefty renovation effort to accommodate all PreK-2 students. By transforming the building into a new primary school, Hanceville will be able to participate in Alabama’s First Class PreK program for the first time.

Hanceville students in grades 3-5 will continue to attend Hanceville Elementary.

Holly Pond

Holly Pond’s K-8 school will revert back to dedicated elementary and middle school buildings. Students in grades K-5 will attend the elementary school while those in grades 6-8 will attend the middle school.

Welti and Harmony

Welti and Harmony Elementary schools — two of the district’s feeder school’s currently serving grades K-6 — will be freeing up classroom space by having students transition to larger campuses sooner.

Welti will become a PreK-1st grade campus and Harmony will become a PreK-5th grade campus.

The additional classroom space at both campuses will be used to create additional PreK classrooms which will be available to parents across the district.

The CCBOE said it was prepared to begin the transition at the beginning of the upcoming 2025-2026 school year.

In other business the board:

Accepted resignations from the following employees:

• Morgan Rutherford – Part-time Good Hope Primary intervention teacher.
• Karla Pitts – Hanceville Elementary Child Nutrition Program worker.
• Maxwell Shumaker – Maintenance technician.
• Paul Quattlebaum – West Point Middle School teacher.

Approved the voluntary transfer of Marlin Calvert from Technology Network Administrator to Technology Director.

Approved the conditional employment of the following personnel:

• Richard Dillashaw – Part-time maintenance technician.
• Jeffrey Johns – HVAC maintenance technician.
• Nathaniel Lynn – West Point High School bus driver.

Approved the following substitutes:

• Christie Thomas (support)
• Haley Holcombe
• Tamra Sobotka
• Heather White
• Franchot South (long-term)

Approved the following non-faculty coaches:

• Jordan Johnson – Cold Springs Middle School girls volleyball.
• David Holcombe – Good Hope High School baseball.
• Nathaniel Johnson – Good Hope High School baseball assistant.
• Jeremy Henderson – Hanceville High School softball.
• Emma Ray Spitzer – Holly Pond High School softball.
• Joshua Bell – West Point High School baseball.
• Joshua Brown – West Point High School softball.
• Tina Jones – West Point High School basketball cheerleading.
• Eric Pendley – West Point High School boys golf.
• Patrick Phillips – West Point High School softball.
• John Reid – West Point High School boys and girls track.
• Shannon Bryant – West Point Middle School softball.

Approved to pay Maxwell Shumaker for up to five unused leave days.

Approved a request from West Point High School to pay Logan McInnish $500 for additional after-school duties.

Approved the out-of-state field trip request form West Point High School to allow the scholar’s bowl team to travel to Rosemont, Illinois on April, 23 to attend the SSNCT Nationals competition.

Approved the out-of-state field trip request form all schools to allow gifted students to travel to Gulf Shores, Alabama from April 28 – 30 to participate in “marine science adventures.”

Approved a request from Tonya Cupp, director of instructional programs, to purchase K-5 science textbooks — Studies Weekly Explor Science Studies for grades K-2 and Savvas Elevate Science for grades 3-5.

Approved a request from Cupp to purchase Elevate Science textbooks for grades 6-8 from Savvas.

Approved a request from Cupp to purchase Alabama Inspire Science for Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Space, Physical Science, Physics, Essentials of Anatomy and Physiology and Principles of Environmental Science for grades 9-12.

Approved a request from Cupp to purchase Forensic Science Fundamentals and Investigation textbooks for grades 9-12.