FCS board hears building project updates, report from audit manager

In its special annual organizational meeting Nov. 16, the Franklin County Schools Board of Education voted to re-elect Terry Welborn as president and Shannon Oliver as vice president.

Updates for building projects in the Franklin County schools included:

• East Franklin’s office has been certified for occupancy.
• Vina’s softball lights passed final inspection.
• Red Bay’s new gym floor is finished and ready for basketball season.
• Plans are moving forward on the band hall at Red Bay.
• Target finish date for being in the ag shop at Red Bay is the end of December.
• A Phil Campbell building project will begin soon.

Denise Olive, audit manager for Franklin County, spoke regarding the FY20 Annual Audit Report. The report, dated Nov. 5, 2021, is available online at examiners.alabama.gov. It covers the period from Oct. 1, 2019 through Sept. 30, 2020.

Olive said there was one matter noted to indicate the board had not complied with applicable laws and regulations that ended up being a finding in the report.

“In the Code of Alabama, Section 16-8-37 requires the board to publish its financial statements in a county newspaper annually in the month of October, and the Franklin County Board did not publish its financial statements for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2020.”

Olive said they also conducted an audit of the board’s federal financial assistance, and they issued an unmodified opinion on the Board’s major federal financial assistance, the program for 2020 being child nutrition.

The Board recognized Kacey Johnston, board member for District 5, for her 2020-2021 Alabama Association of School Board Member Academy Achievement completion of Level 2 Certification.

The board approved a number of personnel actions.

Resignations

• Carolyn Steward, Child Nutrition Program assistant, Phil Campbell High School, retroactive to Aug. 5.
• Dr. Karen Thorn, principal, Tharptown Elementary School, effective Oct. 15.
• Tamla Whitten, school nurse, Franklin County Schools, effective Sept. 30.
• Anthony Oliver, history teacher, Vina High School, effective Oct. 15.
• Bobby Champagne, teacher/head basketball coach, Tharptown High School, effective Oct. 1.
• James Miller, elementary teacher, Phil Campbell Elementary School.

Retirements

• Kenneth Dobbs, technology specialist, retroactive to Aug. 1.
• Brenda Hill, bus driver, effective Jan. 1, 2022.
• Doris Langley, business teacher, Franklin County Career Tech Center, effective Jan. 1.

Leaves of absence

• Kayla Bray, Pre-K auxiliary teacher, East Franklin Junior High School, Oct. 6 through April 4, 2022.
• Hannah Pace, intervention teacher, Tharptown Elementary School, Oct. 24 through Jan. 10, 2022.

Transfers

• Tonya Emerson, transfer from bus driver at Vina School to bus driver at Red Bay School, retroactive to Sept. 27.
• Olivia Hardy, transfer from temporary elementary teacher at Belgreen School to elementary teacher at Belgreen School, effective Jan. 10, 2022.

Suspension

• Lionel Landers, bus driver, East Franklin Junior High School, suspension for 10 work days without pay.

Employment in Supplement

• Carlee Robbins, head varsity girls basketball coach, Red Bay High School.
• Hailey Hand, head varsity girls basketball coach assistant, Red Bay High School.
• Ryan Swinney, varsity golf, Phil Campbell High School.
• Randy Barnes, varsity and junior high basketball, Vina High School.
• Luke Childers, varsity basketball assistant, Vina High School.
• Rusty Frost, assistant basketball coach, Phil Campbell High School.

Employment

• Grant Fancher, bus driver, Vina, retroactive to Sept. 27.
• Milton Conwill, head boys basketball coach/history or PE teacher, Tharptown High, retroactive to Oct. 18.
• Randy Barnes, head boys basketball coach/history or PE Teacher, Vina High, retroactive to Oct. 29.
• Ana Lucas, EL aide, Tharptown Elementary, retroactive to Oct. 25.
• Carol Childers, special education aide, Red Bay Elementary.
• Sydnee Bishop, special education aide, Phil Campbell Elementary.
• Tonya Rhudy, special education aide, Tharptown Elementary.
• Rebekah Myrick, special education aide, Tharptown Elementary.
• Julianna Blackbum, intervention aide, Red Bay Elementary.
• J. Sarah Motes, access facilitator, Tharptown High.
• Jessica Guzman, EL aide, Tharptown High.
• Paige Hester, elementary teacher, Red Bay Elementary, effective Jan. 10, 2022.
• Molly King, contract principal, Tharptown Elementary.

The next meeting of the Franklin County Board of Education will be Jan. 25, 2022, immediately following the work session. The work session will begin at 5 p.m.