The Cullman County School Board held its first Fiscal Year 2019 budget hearing during its regular meeting Tuesday night, and everyone in attendance got the chance to look at how the budget is shaping out for the coming year.

Cullman County Schools Chief Financial Officer Ed Roberson presented the early draft of the budget during the hearing, which is the first of two public hearings that are required before the budget is passed.

“It’s going to be a great year for Cullman County Schools next year,” he said. 

Roberson outlined some of the projects that are upcoming for the school system, including a new home economics building at Holly Pond High School. The school has been using portable classrooms. 

The system will also begin the first part of a three-year process to remove window air conditioning units from all classrooms in the county. 

Roberson said there are around 90 window units that are still in place in the schools. Hanceville and Good Hope Middle Schools will be the first to have their units removed. 

Vinemont and Good Hope High Schools will have the first county school gyms with air conditioning, while the elementary and middle school gyms will be getting large fans to help with the heat.

The system also has $4 million in Qualified Zone Academy Bonds funding that will go towards repairs and renovations in facilities across the county.

“We’ve got a lot of good, exciting things happening in our county system next year,” he said. “There’s a lot of good things going on.”

In other business, the board: 

• Approved 2018-19 after school programs and personnel (personnel paid by local school funds).
• Approved a request from Fairview High School to pay the following coaches for summer workouts, paid by the Fairview High School football boosters: Brian Simmons-$250, Josh Davis-$160,Ricky McDonald-$80, David Martin-$500.
• Approved a request from Fairview High School to pay the following, paid by Fairview High School band boosters: Nathan Kilgo-$500 for summer field maintenance, Kristi Harris-$250 for working with the color guard.
• Approved a request from Fast Track to pay Danielle Marcum for five days of summer work for E5xcel Virtual Academy student registration at her regular rate of pay.
• Approved a request from Hanceville High School to pay the following teachers at a rate of $100 per day for attending a two-day workshop in Huntsville during the summer, paid by local school funds: Christina Watson, Shaunna Aker, Jeane Dodd.
• Approved a request from Holly Pond High School to pay Mike Bates a $1,500 supplement for extra work in the field house during the summer, paid by the Holly Pond Quarterback Club.
• Approved a request from Vinemont Elementary School to pay Lanza Willoughby for summer work on the school schedule at her regular salary rate, paid by local school funds.
• Approved a request from Vinemont High School to pay Todd Johnson $1,000 for summer work with scheduling and C2C, paid by local school funds.
• Approved a request from West Point Intermediate School to pay the following teachers at a rate of $100 per day for attending AMSTI training during the summer, paid by local school funds: Melissa Johnson, Chanda Harbison, Tracie Wooten.
• Approved a request for permission to allow the following assistant principals to be an athletic coach during the 2018-2019 school year and receive the supplement: George Redding, Brent Barnett.
• Approved the 2018-2019 academic coaching supplements and assignments.
• Approved the 2018-2019 athletic coaching supplements and assignments.
• Approved June 2018 financial statements.
• Approved June 2018 bills and salaries.
• The Cullman County School Board will next meet on Sept. 13 at 6 p.m. in the Central Office Board Room, with a work session preceding the meeting at 5:30 p.m.