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The Escambia County Board of Education awarded bids for mechanical upgrades at Escambia County Middle School and for the demolition of the Atmore Middle School building during its regular meeting March 23.

The mechanical upgrades bid for $1,452,700 was awarded to Walker Construction and Consulting Services LLC; and the demolition bid was awarded to Demolition and Salvage Inc. for $562,749.

In other business, the board:

• approved the revised 2023-24 school calendar;
• approved a settlement agreement with Juul Labs Inc. and execution of all settlement documents by Board President Danny Benjamin;
• approved to enter a 36-month contract with Uniti Fiber for managed wide area network services for $11,920 per month contingent upon E-rate funding, to be paid out of local funds;
• approved to contract with BBB Educational Enterprises Inc. for professional development to include 13 days for teacher support focused on LLI in the amount of $31,187; 239 days for teacher support focused on Benchmark Workshop LLI, Interactive Read Aloud and Do the Math in the amount of $573,361; and 25 days for teacher support focused on Inquiry By Design in the amount of $59,975 for a total of $664,523 to be paid out of ESSER funds;
• approved the purchase of property located at 0 Highway 31, Flomaton, in the amount of $425,000 utilizing local funds. The property was appraised by Harold W. Grimes III with a value of $460,000. The board is responsible for the property’s appraisal fee of $750, and will not assume any debt with the purchase of this property;
• tabled board policy revision Section II, school board operations for recordkeeping and retention of board records for 30 days;
• approved an out-of-state field trip for the junior class at Escambia County High School on April 1, 2023, to Big Play Entertainment Center in Biloxi, Miss;
• approved an overnight trip for 19 students at the Escambia Career Readiness Center to attend the SkillsUSA State Competition in Mobile from April 24-26, 2023;
• approved an out-of-state field trip for W.S. Neal High School band to perform in the 2024 San Antonio Fiesta Flambeau parade in San Antonio from April 24-28, 2024;
• approved the following personnel recommendations:

Retirement

• Guy Mims, Spanish teacher at ECHS, effective June 1, 2023;
• Linda Thomas, seven-hour lunchroom worker at ECMS, effective June 1;
• Rebecca Boutwell, lunchroom manager at ECMS, effective June 1;

Resignation

• Ashley Murphy, secondary teacher at Flomaton High School, effective May 25;
• Vasaroy Johnson, teacher, at Rachel Patterson Elementary School, effective March 10;
• Katrina Ewing Anthony, teacher, at W.S. Neal Middle School, effective March 10;
• Krystal Jernigan, bus driver, Brewton Bus Shop, effective March 15;
• Andrea Boatwright, bus driver, Atmore Bus Shop, effective March 9;

Employment

• Vernametres McCracklin, teacher, at After School Program at ECHS, effective April 3;
• Sandi McMurphy, teacher aide, ECMS, effective March 24;
• Johnny Lambeth, general maintenance worker, Brewton Maintenance Shop, effective March 27;

Transfer

• Lauren Kirn, elementary teacher, ECMS, to elementary teacher at RPES, effective July 1;
• Rhecy Currie, elementary teacher, ECMS, to elementary teacher at RPES, effective July 1;
• Deborah Salyers, elementary teacher, ECMS, to elementary teacher at RPEs, effective July 1;
• Sydnie High, elementary teacher, ECMS, to elementary teacher at RPES, effective July 1;
• Sandra Davis, elementary teacher, ECMS, to elementary teacher at RPEs, effective July 1;
• Shelbi Himes, teacher, Flomaton Elementary School, to teacher, FHS, effective July 1;
• Tara Ross, teacher, FES, to teacher, FHS, July 1;
• Cynthia Davis, teacher, FES, to teacher, FHS, effective July 1;
• Patricia Respress, Pre-K teacher aide, RPES, to Pre-k teacher aide, A.C. Moore, effective July 1;
• Maranda Lambeth, Pre-K teacher aide, RPES, to Pre-K teacher aide, A.C. Moore, effective July 1;
• Deloris Johnson, Pre-K teacher, RPES, to Pre-K teacher, A.C. Moore, effective July 1; and,
• Mary Campbell, Pre-K teacher, RPES, to Pre-K teacher, A.C. Moore, effective July 1.