Cullman City Schools Superintendent Susan Patterson, right, speaks to members of the Cullman City Schools Capital Plan Committee.

The Cullman City School System has a number of projects that it is looking to complete in the near future, but any discussions about building new schools or combining them will have to wait until a series of studies have been completed.

In a meeting of the Cullman City Schools Capital Plan Committee, Cullman City School Board members, teachers, principals and parents discussed the 2019-2023 Capital Plan and talked about the priorities for any future projects that may be in the works.

Cullman City Schools Support Services Coordinator Hayden said the state requires a top 10 list for the school system’s Capital Plan, and any available capital project funding from the state is limited to that list. 

Superintendent Susan Patterson told the committee that more work is needed before any long-term plans can be made that have major changes for the system.

“Before there is a long-term plan rolled out about any type of restructuring the school system, building a new school or building new buildings, we want to make sure we’re looking at everything we need to,” she said. 

Patterson said the system is currently working an architect that is doing an assessment of the system and will provide options for possible plans.

There is also a demographic study underway that will make sure the school system is prepared for the right kind of growth, she said. 

There aren’t as many babies being born in the area, but there is still a lot of growth in the city with new industries coming in, and some of the new subdivisions that are being built are inside the city school system, Patterson said.

“That’s going to change our demographics a little bit,” she said. “We’re working with the Chamber, the City Economic Development to get a better picture of the kind of growth we’re looking at.”

When those studies are both complete, the system will host community meetings and meet with PTOs, teachers and principals to make sure the city’s schools move in the right direction.

“We will involve all stakeholders,” she said. “We’ve got to look at the plan and decode what’s best for our students.” 

In addition to the long-term plans for the system’s growth, the top 10 list for the system includes an additional access route for parents and emergency vehicles at Cullman City Primary School, systemwide security updates that include new locking systems and key pads, renovations of classrooms across the system and technology and infrastructure upgrades.

Faulk said the list does have to be organized in order from the highest priority to the lowest, but the system is not strictly limited to that order if funding is available.

For example the system is able to get funding for the tenth item on the list, they can go ahead with that project even though it is not first on the list, he said. 

“As long as they are in that top 10 list, they will fund the grants,” he said. 

The Cullman City School Board also held its regular meeting on Monday morning, and approved a one-time stipend that will be paid to all employees in the Cullman City School System.

The stipend will be given on the first month of the employees’ 2018-19 contract year. The amount of the payment will equal two months of the employees increase in salary from the 2017-18 contract, including the statewide 2.5 percent pay increase and any applicable step increases.

In other business, the board: 

Approved June 2018 payroll of $1,977,099.17, invoices paid of $385,343.06, financial statements and bank reconciliations.

Approved the following Head Start items:

 Expenditures report for June 2018.

 SF425 – Quarterly June 30, 2018.

Gave permission to surplus/salvage one Dell Model 755 desktop computer, two non-functioning computer monitors, eight non-functioning smartboards, 11 old NEC projectors and 14 Dell 630s laptops from the Technology Department.

Gave permission to surplus Envision Kindergarten and First grade math workbooks (216 cartons) from Cullman City Primary School.

Gave permission to salvage 26 student desks from West Elementary School.

Gave permission to enter into a leasing agreement with Insight Financial Services, pending board attorney opinion, for the purchase of student Chromebook devices for the 1:1 initiative at Cullman Middle School.

Gave permission to extend three CNP food bids for an additional 12 months.

Gave permission for Cullman Middle School to change a report card date on the 2018-2019 Cullman City Schools calendar Page 2 from April 5 to April 12.

Approved the revised Head Start Disabilities Manager job description.

Approved the revised 2018-19 Head Start calendar.

Approved the CHS Textbook Committee members: Sara McCutcheon, Jake Johnson, Crystal Askea, Kim Hall and Julie Skinner.

Gave permission for East Elementary School to adopt the Foutas and Pinnell Classroom (Literacy) Program.

Gave permission to contract with the following teacher to serve as mentor for teachers pursuing their National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification beginning July 1: Lindsay Brannon.

Gave permission for each teacher that accepts responsibility to mentor a new teacher for the 2018-19 school year.

Gave permission to provide a stipend for Gina Nix to provide professional development on preparing for the first days of school for new teachers at the secondary level.

Gave permission to provide stipends for new teachers attended New Teacher Induction 2018.

Gave permission to provide $50 stipends to the following teachers for the Kindergarten Math Committee Meeting on June 27: Carrie Byrd, Kristen Brown and Jana Thrasher.

Gave permission to provide stipends for Pre-K teachers and Pre-K auxiliary teachers to attend professional development in July.

Gave permission to provide stipends for Pre-K new teacher training in July.

Gave permission to provide stipends to Head Start teachers and staff to attend professional development in July.

Gave permission to provide a stipend for Pamela Parks to attend a one-day training on STAR Behavioral Program for Young Children with Autism.

Gave permission to provide a stipend to Phyllis Payne and Holly Murphree to attend a one-day training on STAR Behavioral Program for Young Children with Autism.

Gave permission to contract with Daniel Kilpatrick to provide maintenance support on an as-needed basis through Aug. 15.

Gave permission to contract with Diane Law to provide secretarial and receptionist duties as-needed beginning Oct. 1 through Sept. 30, 2019.

Approved the following personnel considerations:

Retirement

Janice Butts, special education instructional assistant at East Elementary School effective Aug. 1.

Resignation

Joshua Swindall, Technology/ Federal Programs/ CTE Coordinator, effective Aug. 1.

Kelly Pinkard, first grade teacher at Cullman City Primary School, effective June 25.

Barbara Hendrix, instructional assistant at Cullman High School, effective July 2.

Jennifer Crumpton, fourth grade teacher at West Elementary, effective July 9.

Cara Goodwin, special education instructional assistant at West Elementary, effective July 10.

Employments

Shannon Dutton, first grade teacher at Cullman City Primary School, beginning Aug. 2.

Lindsey Stracener, special education instructional assistant at Cullman City Primary School, beginning Aug. 2.

Amy Smith, instructional assistant (Title One) at Cullman City Primary School , beginning Aug. 2.

Jenna Lambert, early morning EDP aide at Cullman City Primary School, beginning Aug. 7.

Earl Eawayne Morton, social studies teacher at Cullman High School, beginning Aug. 2.

Janie Lynn Peek, special education instructional assistant at Cullman High School, beginning Aug. 2.

Sarah Kaye Martin, special education instructional assistant at East Elementary School, beginning Aug. 2.

Mary Beth Moss, second grade teacher at West Elementary School, beginning Aug. 2.

Tiffanie Danielle Shaddix, special education teacher at West Elementary School, beginning Aug. 2.

Carol Carraway Terry, temporary guidance counselor at West Elementary School (to fill a leave of absence), beginning Aug. 2 through Nov. 2.

Tina Bates, CNP Manager at West Elementary School, beginning Aug. 2.

Revised date of employment

Bruce Bentley, special needs bus assistant, revised beginning employment date from Aug. 9 to Aug. 2.

Supplement resignation

Joshua Swindall, administrative supplement Level 4.

Athletic supplement resignation

Cara Goodwin, assistant softball coach supplement, effective July 10.

Amended employment contract

Susan Patterson, superintendent, amended employment contract, effective July 17.

The Cullman City School Board will hold a special called meeting on Aug. 1 at 7:30 a.m. in the Central Office Board Room. The board will also hold the first FY2019 Budget Hearing on Aug. 21 at 4 p.m. in the Central Office Board Room, with a regular board meeting following at 5 p.m.