By Sherri Blevins
moc.letsremrafobfsctd@snivelbas
RAINSVILLE – Ala.- The DeKalb County Board of Education met on February 22, 2024, for its monthly meeting. Representatives from Collinsville’s Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) attended the meeting in recognition of Career Tech Education Month and FCCLA Week.
FCCLA President Gracie Griggs spoke to the Board, stating, “Through your strong support of the FCCLA program, students are able to develop skills for life through character development, creative and critical thinking, interpersonal communication, practical knowledge, and career preparations.” FCCLA members then presented Superintendent Lyles and Board members with certificates of appreciation and gift bags for their support. FCCLA is a career and technical student organization that functions as an integral part of the family and consumer sciences education curriculum that operates within the school system. Collinsville recently received a new consumer science facility to help prepare students for their futures.
During the meeting, the Board approved Tanner Nelson as Sylvania High School’s next head football coach. Nelson was an assistant coach at Collinsville High School and transferred to Sylvania to teach and lead the Ram’s football program.
In addition, the Board approved the following personnel actions:
On the Job Injury
- Lee Dalton – Assistant Principal – Fyffe Special Services Center
Leaves of Absence
- Lori Miller – Itinerant Special Education Teacher – Sylvania High School
- Rachel Goolesby – English Language Arts Teacher – Fyffe High School
- Angela Beavers – CNP Worker – Crossville Middle School
- Phillip Pointer – Head Custodian – Crossville Middle School
- Shannon Pruett – Elementary Teacher – Ider High School
Retirements
- Larry Odom – Bus Driver – Crossville Middle / Crossville High School
Resignations
- Jodie Barton – Itinerant Special Education Teacher – Crossville Middle School
Transfers
- Tanner Nelson from P.E. Teacher at Collinsville High School to Secondary Teacher with Head Football Coaching Duties at Sylvania High School
- John Bruce Beam from Bus Driver at Crossville Middle School to Bus Driver at Crossville Elementary School
Placements
- David Chapman – P.E. Teacher (Leave from 3/18/24-5/24/24) – Crossville Elementary School
- Christopher Jones – Junior High School Baseball Coaching Duties – Collinsville High School
- Arminda Olvera – Itinerant 1/2 CES / 1/2 CrHS Assistant Custodian (9-month/7-hours) – Crossville Elementary School / Crossville High School
- Holly Hughes – Bus Driver – Ider High School
- Sara Culpepper – Bus Tech Route (In addition to regular route) – Ider High School
- Karmen Smith – Vocational Rehabilitation Job Coach Cody Feltman – Bus Driver – Ider High School
- Cody Feltman – Bus Driver – Ider High School
Volunteer Coaches
- Geraldine High School – Brandon Wade (Baseball)
- Sylvania High School – Joey Oliver (Softball)
For safety reasons, the Board approved adding new bleachers to several schools. Geraldine will receive new visitor bleachers and a new press box, while Valley Head will get a new press box and bleachers for both the home side and visitors. Collinsville will be adding new visitor bleachers with a press box, and Fyffe will add a press box to the visitors’ side.
Superintendent Lyles congratulated students who competed in the state Beta competition as well as those athletes playing in the basketball championships. Lyles also explained the dismissal policy for sporting events, specifically the basketball championship. He said the Board encouraged students to attend the regional games, and their absences would be excused, but the Board could not dismiss school for those unless both breakfast and lunch had been served. He said it was possible under certain circumstances for the school to dismiss around 1:30 so that students could attend a late afternoon game. He stated e-learning days would be considered for schools that reached the final four in Birmingham.
The next DeKalb County Board of Education meeting will be on March 21, 2024.