Malia Riggs
Elmore Autauga News
The Autauga County Board of Education met twice this week to seek the approval of the Autauga County Schools 2025 budget, which was unanimously approved.
During the superintendent’s report in both respective meetings Superintendent Lyman Woodfin gave updates regarding projects throughout the district as well as addressing the threats to several ACS schools that were made earlier in the week.
Woodfin stated that the final inspection for the long-awaited Prattville Kindergarten School will take place Sept. 25th, and updates will be sure to follow.
“We’ll update everyone after that meeting in terms of when we’re looking at moving into the new building. They’re currently working through some of the punch list stuff as it sits, but again after that final inspection we will know a little more,” Woodfin said.
Woodfin also stated that meetings with the architects for the Autaugaville gym, restrooms and the Prattville High School fieldhouse are scheduled, and officials should know more soon. Woodfin confirmed that the Autaugaville gym construction bids should go to bid in October of this year.
“We’ve got a lot of projects moving. The key on all that is that every architect knows that we’re on a tight schedule because we have to have those funds used by the end of September next year. So, it’s going to be a tight window, but we feel pretty good about it,” Woodfin said.
Woodfin also addressed the online threats that were made last weekend and into Monday, which included a few schools within the ACS district. Woodfin confirmed that every threat was investigated and that they take any threat very seriously with each are investigated.
It was after midnight last Sunday that Woodfin was made aware of various hoax threats that did include Prattville High School, he told the board. He also confirmed the reasoning in the “delay” in letting parents know that an absence being excused was because the district has to follow the state, and certain state coding for approval.
The update that all students marked absent will be dismissed came out at 7:20-7:30 a.m. before school that Monday, Woodfin confirmed.
Woodfin also apologized to parents and the community regarding the long lines and other technical issues that transpired that day with equipment, technology and particularly with the use of metal detectors.
Chairman of the Board Billy Hollon and Woodfin confirmed the detectors will be used every day and efficiently that will take an enormous number of staff.
While there is a huge benefit of safety having the metal detectors in place, as it stands now the detectors can’t differentiate the metals. Therefore, three ringed binders and other school supplies will set the detectors off. Then the student would have to be wanded, taking additional personnel, Hollon confirmed.
“I hate that this happened, and that we were put in this position that day and that I put them in that position (the long lines to get through the metal detectors),” Woodfin said.
Woodfin went on to commend the Prattville Police Department and safety officers at the schools for working diligently and quickly for the betterment of Autauga County students.
