Malia Riggs
Elmore Autauga News
The Autauga County Board of Education held their regularly scheduled board meeting last week on Tuesday. The Board went on to recognize numerous members of the transportation team of mechanics and shop foremans for their work in keeping the Autauga County School’s buses up and running.
In December of 2023 the Alabama State Department of Education completed a routine inspection of school buses. The inspection included a check of the bus braking systems, exhaust, steering, signaling systems, tires and other items as well as a review of shop personnel and maintenance records.
There are 158 buses within the Autauga County School’s fleet and none of the buses were found to have any major deficiencies, Superintendent Lyman Woodfin confirmed.
Since the annual bus inspection, two of the non-certified bus mechanics have now completed their ALSB bus mechanic certification and are now certified bus mechanics for Autauga County Schools.
“This puts us in state compliance with one state certified bus mechanic for every 25 buses in the fleet. Due to this outstanding report, we recognize your great accomplishments. With 158 buses plus 40 different vehicles that are in our fleet, with no issues, I can’t imagine what you guys do every day, but that is an incredible accomplishment,” Woodfin said.
In other business, Pine Level Mayor Zachary Bigley also spoke to the Board in regard to annexing the Pine Level Elementary and an adjacent property into the Pine Level city limits.
The process would be in the form of paperwork and a legal description, which would then be brought before the Pine Level City Council for a vote. If approved, the school and property would then be properly part of the town of Pine Level.
“Pine Level Elementary, Marbury Middle School and Marbury High School. Those are the schools that help educate the citizens of Pine Level. It helps us increase our footprint in our town,” Bigley said.
Woodfin also confirmed that all campuses within Autauga County have been trained to use metal detectors, however some schools have already been using them in some capacity.
“In general, parents are to be expected to walk through them to enter elementary schools. At secondary school, principals will have the discretion to use them in any manner in which they choose,” Woodfin said.
Many of the detectors have already been in use at sporting events, and randomly within the schools that had already received the training.
All other items on the regular and consent agenda were approved last Tuesday.
