Photo courtesy of Cindy Warner
Over 1,300 Shelby County School employees have received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccination thanks to a partnership with UAB Hospital.
Superintendent Lewis Brooks presented Jaye Locks with the Journey Shapers Award during the board of education meeting on April 15. Locks is the Ambulatory Services Administrator for UAB Medicine who helped facilitate a vaccine clinic for all SCS employees, along with the assistance of Steve Bromley, and ESL teacher at Montevallo High School.
“We spent several weeks getting it organized and scheduling appointments for employees,” Brooks said. “It was such a smooth operation and well coordinated and I am grateful we were able to do it.
Beginning April 26, Shelby County Schools will no longer implement a mask mandate. Masks will be encouraged, but not required, as a matter of community responsibility.
Brooks said he has had a lot of dialogue with health officials across the area and other superintendents and felt very strongly because of what the governor had done.
“We needed to find a way to make it a personal responsibility,” he said. “The issue is very controversial and we decided to make the decision to make it a personal choice for each individual.”
During the instructional report, Annalee Fuller, a third grader at Wilsonville Elementary was honored for her artwork that was selected to be displayed in the State Superintendent’s Virtual Art Exhibit this year. Her rainbow weaving painting came in second in the state.
Shelby County Schools was named by the National Music Association as one of the best communities for music education in the nation for the second year in a row.
Assistant Superintendent of Finance, John Gwin, reported that halfway through the fiscal year period, the unreserved fund balance is $51,545,446,50, which is a three month reserve and $6.4 million ahead of this time last year.
The board approved Jennifer Galloway for the position of Human Resources Supervisor. Galloway has been the principal at Chelsea Park Elementary for the past four years and said she is excited for this opportunity.
“I want to thank you for trusting me in this position,” she said. “I appreciate the opportunity to work in Shelby County preparing our students, teachers and leaders. I have had the opportunity to work with amazing principals and administrators and I look forward to helping move our district forward.”
Barbara Snyder was approved as the Coordinator of Facilities and Maintenance. She has been serving as principal at Shelby County High School and has been in the Shelby County School system for 28 years.
“I'm the most blessed person in the SCS and have had so many opportunities,” she said. “I’m looking forward to working in facilities and maintenance to do the best we can do to make it as good as can be.”
The board also approved:
- Approving K-12 textbooks
- Approving a new cyber insurance policy for FY 21-22 to Cowbell Security for $25,226.76
- A bid for (non-bus) fleet vehicle leasing to Enterprise Holdings for $538,581.84
- A bid for paint services to PCI of Chelsea $15,830
- To reject a bid for HVAC equipment
- To approve emergency declaration for affected facilities in the Oak Mountain community
- Approving personnel actions
- Approving bus subs and aides
The next meeting of the Shelby County Board of Education will be on May 6 at the Central Office in Columbiana.
