By Sherri Blevins
On January 19, 2023, the DeKalb County Board of Education members were honored during the monthly meeting. January is School Board Appreciation Month. Superintendent Lyles thanked the Board members for their dedication to the task and read a statement detailing the many duties and the countless hours they spent to provide the children of DeKalb County with the best possible education. The Board was given gifts from different school groups and promised a gift from the Central Office that would arrive the next day.
Superintendent Lyles expressed his condolences on behalf of the entire school system to the family of Defino Reza, a Crossville High School senior who was killed during the Christmas break, and to the family of Nathan Parham, a science teacher at Sylvania and Ider High School who also passed away earlier this year.
During the meeting, the Board approved the early graduation of two students from Collinsville High School, Vitatina Velasquez Agustin and Vanessa Hernandez Maldonado. The 2023-2024 school calendar was also approved.
Superintendent Lyles announced that six schools had been awarded $5,000.00 TVA STEAM Grants. This announcement was wonderful news because no schools received the grant in the previous year. Crossville Middle, Collinsville, Sylvania, Plainview, and Henagar will all have the opportunity to put the grant money to use. Congratulations were also extended to CNP Director April Shrader and the CNP staff for receiving a successful Federal CNP review.
The Board authorized the following actions:
Retirements/Resignations
A. Donny Johnston – Bus Driver – Fyffe Special Services Center – Retirement – 12/1/22
B. Donna Gifford – CNP Worker – Collinsville High School – Resignation – 1/14/23
C. William Ott – Bus Mechanic – Bus Garage – Resignation – 1/17/23
D. Mandy Smith – Assistant Custodian (9-month/7-hour) – Geraldine High School – Resignation – 1/5/23
Leaves of Absence
A. Jordan Gilbert – Elementary Teacher – Geraldine High School – 1/28/23-4/2/23
B. John Daniel Pope – Shop Foreman – Transportation – 11/23/22-2/8/23
C. Joni Mitchell Davis – Mathematics Teacher – Geraldine High School – 9/6/22-5/25/23 (Extended from 3/10/23)
D. Alicia Shrader – Assistant Secretary – Fyffe High School – 1/19/23-5/26/23
E. Amanda McKee – CNP Worker – Fyffe High School – 8/1/22-1/27/23 (Extended from 1/2/23)
F. Antonia Cordell – English Language Arts Teacher – Crossville Middle School – 1/3/23-2/3/23
G. Sherry Pettis – Pre-K Auxiliary Teacher – Crossville Middle School – 2/6/23-5/12/23
H. Lacie Fricks – Elementary Teacher – Sylvania High School – 2/6/23-3/10/23
I. Ariel Brumbeloe – Mathematics Teacher – Crossville High School – 3/23/23-5/26/23
On-the-Job Injury
A. Sharlyn Huber – Physical Education Teacher – Ider High School – 2 days
Transfers
A. Alexa Williams, from Elementary Teacher to Elementary Counselor at Crossville
Elementary School
B. Jesse Martin from Itinerant Special Education Teacher at Fyffe Special Services Center to Itinerant Special Education Teacher at Fyffe High School
C. Holly Murdock from Itinerant Special Education Teacher at Valley Head High School to Itinerant Special Education Teacher at Fyffe Special Services Center
Placements
A. Breanna Swords – Elementary Teacher- Crossville Elementary School
B. Olivia Isbell – Itinerant Special Education Teacher – Valley Head High School
C. Jesse Martin – Bus Driver – Fyffe Special Services Center
D. Tonya Causey – Title I Aide – Crossville Middle School
E. Hannah Crenshaw – Assistant Custodian (9month-7hour) – Geraldine High School
Volunteer Coaches
A. Crossville High School
a. Marlene Lopez – Girls Varsity Soccer
b. Maria Garcia – Girls Varsity Soccer
c. Lizeth Aragon – JV Girls Soccer
d. Jimmy Franco – JV Boys Soccer
e. Todd Dismuke – Varsity Soccer
B. Fyffe High School
a. William Stephens – Baseball
C. Plainview High School
a. John David Willoughby – Basketball
D. Valley Head High School
a. Walter Watts – Baseball
Contracts
A. January 19, 2023 Contracts Report
B. Christie Deere – Math Teacher – Geraldine High School
C. Katherine Ables- English Language Arts Teacher- Geraldine High School
D. Carolyn K. Johnson – English Language Arts Teacher – Fyffe High School
E. Tim Cochran – English Language Arts Teacher – Fyffe High School
F. Jodie Maze – Elementary Teacher – Crossville Elementary School
Superintendent Lyles expressed his gratitude to Mr. Rick Baker for his pledge to provide 250 scholarships over the next ten years to Crossville High School graduates. The next meeting will be on February 16, 2023, at 4:30 pm.