Malia Riggs
Elmore Autauga News
The Autauga County Board of Education held a special meeting Tuesday evening where the board approved new language in various policies, and also approved the YMCA agreement with Autauga County Schools, ACS.
The Board adopted new policy language in accordance with the Teacher Bill of Rights and the Alabama Association of School Boards, AASB. The change in this policy is an adjustment of language to give board members ample time to sit on policy changes instead of only allowing one meeting before the change is before them.
“This change can allow us to be more flexible in time, in times like now when, quite frankly, the guidance is rushed from the state if the policy is coming out. The recent guidance from AASB is removing that language and giving boards more flexibility,” Superintendent of Autauga County Schools Lymen Woodfin said.
The Prattville YMCA branches will yet again have an agreement with ACS in helping with after school care, closures and weather delays. Woodfin confirmed new provisions were made with the YMCA to further strengthen the relationship between the two
“The YMCA has been a valuable resource for our families for a long time. Providing after -school care so they use our facilities, and you know it allows our parents, to quite frankly, be able to work and that’s a big deal. They do a good job with the kids too, so it’s been a mutually beneficial relationship for a long time.” Woodfin said.
Woodfin confirmed that the code changed to provide more consequences for behaviors at both locations that negatively affects student safety or the overall climate of the learning environment.
“These are the two things we’ve been talking about all year, two areas we’ve dealt with our current policy and code of conduct to be addressed and I feel like this new code will do that,” Woodfin said.
During the superintendent’s report, Woodfin also confirmed the Prattville Kindergarten School is on track, and with the last meeting with the contractors next month, ACS is hoping to receive the keys soon after.
The Board also approved hiring a new position within the technology department of ACS. This new position will focus on helping with the centralized registration, open enrollment process, and other technology-based issues.
Woodfin stated that the position is very needed, with the ne centralized registration, and while the secretaries are doing a great job, Woodfin confirmed, the volume of incoming messages and questions are still overwhelming.
The Virtual Academy is up to 205 enrolled students, with around 90 more applications to be processed, Woodfin confirmed. In order to receive state funding, the school would need 250 students enrolled, and ACS is well on the way to that number.
Woodfin also confirmed that throughout the district, there’s currently only one teaching position open, that opened up two days ago. Woodfin stated this position is only open as it was filled by someone that was moving from out of state, and their plans fell through.
Woodfin commented the “the awesome job of ACS staff and personnel,” and congratulated ACS Director of Personnel Julie Harrington on a job well done.
“It doesn’t get much better than that,” Woodfin said.
