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The Escambia County (Ala.) Board of Education approved a school resource officer agreement between the system and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office during its regular board meeting at Escambia County High School on Oct. 27.

The agreement will be paid for with ETF and local funds, according to board officials. Additionally, the agreement outlines said duties of three SRO who are serving the feeder-patterned schools and their salaries, among other items.

The agreement is between the ECSO, the school system and the Escambia County Commission.

Sheriff Heath Jackson said the SROs feel like they’re a part of the school more so than the sheriff’s office.

“They learn who the principals, and the staff are and more importantly, who the kids are,” Jackson said. “They learn over time who those kids are. Things like that are tremendous.

“We won’t let a price tag prevent us on keeping kids safe, keeping them in school and being positive role models for them,” he said. “This is a team effort. I’m proud to be a part of the team.”

To read the full agreement, visit www.escambiak12.net.

In other business, the board:

• heard public comments from Matthew Fillmore. Fillmore brought some concerns he had with Flomaton High School, notably the lack of an athletic trainer at football games; providing nurses and nurse practitioners for medical needs; expanding storage space for the football team; elementary teachers not having enough supplies; and the track and field team’s lack of needed supplies;

• approved the board policy revision of Section VII instructional program 7.11 for extended programs, community education;

• approved the FY2023 Stability for Foster Students LEA Plan for the school system. Superintendent Michele McClung said the plan protects foster care students while enrolled in the system, as well as involves foster parental involvement in making decisions for the best welfare for students who are in the system. She said the plan outlines what the system’s obligations and responsibilities should be if it has foster care students in the system;

• approved the purchase, installation and service of 329 new Cisco IP phones from KAM Technologies for $462,158.66. The purchase will provide district wide upgrades to the VoIP system and will be paid for with ESSER and ETF funds;

• approved the purchase of intercom systems from KAM Technologies to include horns and intercoms as follows: Phase 1 to include system at Flomaton Elementary School, Huxford Elementary School, Pollard McCall Junior High School, Rachel Patterson Elementary School and W.S. Neal Elementary School for $212,270.48 to be paid for with ESSER and ETF funds;

• approved the purchase of intercom systems from KAM Technologies to include horns and intercoms as follows: Phase 2 to include system at Brewton Central office, Atmore Central Office, Atmore Bus Shop, Brewton Bus Shop, Turtle Point Science Center, Escambia Career Readiness Center, Escambia County Alternative School, W.S. Neal Middle School, Escambia County Middle School, W.S. Neal High School, Flomaton High School and Escambia County High School for $505,260.20 to be paid for by ESSER and ETF funds;

• tabled the approval to accept a big from Johns and Kirksey Inc. for $474,000 for the reroofing of maintenance building;

• approved the acceptance of a bid from Walker Construction and Consulting Services LLC for $244,450 for the replacement of canopies and parking lot light poles at WSNHS;

• approved to enter into an owner/architect agreement between the ECBOE and Lathan Associates Architects P.C. for four portable classrooms for FES as a temporary fix for the student overcrowding issue;

• approved to enter into an owner/architect agreement between the ECBOE and Lathan Associates Architects P.C. for the demolition of the Escambia County Training School building at 100 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., in Atmore. This is the first step of the abatement process. The property needs cleaning and the building has been vandalized, gutted and stripped, according to officials;

• approved the purchase of one tilting skillet for HES from Hawk Inc. for $29,258.93 with CNP funds;

• approved the purchase of nine lunchroom tables for A.C. Moore Elementary School from Terrell Enterprises for $24,017.85 with CNP funds;

• approved the purchase of one proofer cabinet for ECMS from Hotel and Restaurant Supply for $2,715 with CNP funds;

• approved the purchase of one pass-thru cooler for ECMS from Hotel and Restaurant Supply for $5,705 with CNP funds;

• approved the purchase of one two-door reach-in refrigerator for ECHS from Hotel and Restaurant Supply for $5,320 with CNP funds;

• approved the purchase of one three-door reach-in refrigerator for ECHS from Hotel and Restaurant Supply for $7,190 with CNP funds.

• approved the following personnel recommendations:

Resignation

• Maranda Johnson, office aide at ECHS, effective Oct. 19, 2022;

• Timothy Milton, custodian at ECHS, effective Oct. 21;

• Rebecca Murray, counselor at HES, effective Oct. 14;

• Lindsay Mims-Banks, teacher aide at RPES, effective Sept. 30;

• Heather Murphy, elementary teacher at RPEs, effective Oct. 21;

• Kelly Mitchell, counselor at WSNES, effective Oct. 18;

Employment

• Douglas Forbes, social studies teacher at ECHS, effective Oct. 28, replacing Nancy Rippstein;

• Kim Yarber, English/language arts teacher at ECHS, effective Oct. 4, replacing Tawana Jones;

• Zachary Calhoun, math teacher at ECHS, effective Sept. 29, replacing Keyon Thompson;

• Daphne Sullivan, math teacher at ECMS, effective Oct. 31, replacing Rachel Wood;

• Milton, custodian at ECHS, effective Sept. 29, replacing Bonnie Johnson;

• Mary Fails, instructional aide at ECHS, effective Sept. 29, replacing Latonia Brooks;

• Jennifer Burkett, custodian at FES, effective Oct. 28, replacing Pam Lutzi;

• Brandi Graham, custodian at FHS, effective Oct. 3, replacing James Burnham;

• Beverly VanHoosen, seven-hour lunchroom worker at PMJHS, effective Nov. 1, replacing Sherry Atkins;

• Leketha Bradley, site coordinator at Academic Recover Response Plan After School Program at PMJHS, effective Nov. 1;

• Heather Kirkland, teacher at Academic Recovery Response Plan After School Program at PMJHS, effective Nov. 1;

• Connie Grasham, aide, after school childcare program at PMJHS, effective Aug. 29 through Oct. 27, paid at $25 an hour from local funds;

• Candice Bonner, aide, after school childcare program at PMJHS, effective Aug. 29 through Oct. 27, paid at $25 an hour from local funds;

• Dorothy Sams, custodian at RPES, effective Oct. 11;

• James Hayles, custodian at RPEs, effective Nov. 1, replacing Quaunhntel Hill;

• Nakiedra Brown, instructional aide at RPES, effective Nov. 1, replacing Lindsay Mims-Banks;

• Ally Edwards, elementary teacher at RPEs, effective Nov. 1, replacing Amanda Crowder-Flowers;

• Pamela Wyatt, secretary/bookkeeper at WSNES, effective Oct. 3, replacing Misty Joyner;

• Morgan Miller, instructional aide at WSNES, effective Oct. 17, replacing Pamela Driskell;

• Tina Hunt, elementary teacher at WSNES, effective Oct. 7, replacing Rochelle Evans;

• Don Grantham, bus driver at Atmore Bus Shop, effective Oct. 28, replacing Lillie Williams;

• Lewis Brooks, bus driver at Atmore Bus Shop, effective Oct. 28, replacing Deborah Harrison;

Employment change

• Jennifer Strawbridge, as special education aide at FES, to counselor at HES, effective Oct. 28, replacing Murray;

• Lutzi, as instructional aide at FES, to special education aide, effective Nov. 1, replacing Strawbridge;

• Kasey Atkins, as Pre-K auxiliary teacher aide at ACMES, to special education aide at HES, effective Oct. 28;

• Stephanie Mosley, as special education aide at RPES, to office aide at ECHS, effective Nov. 1, replacing Johnson;

• Meagan Barragan, as English/language arts teacher at WSNMS, to counselor at WSNES, effective Nov. 7, replacing Kelly Mitchell;

Termination

• Carolyn Galbraith, as special education aide at HES, effective Oct. 22. Board member Loumeek White requested a hold out on Galbraith, and the board met in executive session for less than 10 minutes to discuss the reputation of the good name and character of the former employee; and,

• approved the expulsion of an ECMS student for a period of up to one calendar year for violating the Escambia County School System board policy/student code of conduct. By the ECBOE policy 4.2.1, the superintendent will allow the student to receive educational services through the Escambia County Alternative School/Virtual School.

The board will hold its next meeting at the Brewton Central Office on Fri., Nov. 18, at 4:30 p.m.