Donna Thornton, Editor
Albertville City Schools Superintendent Bart Reeves reported some good news to the school board in a special called meeting Thursday morning.
The system has received an A+ credit rating from financial industry leader S&P, which is similar to an individual’s FICO score. The rating means the school system has a high degree of credit worthiness and it’s something lenders look at when a school district or other governing body wants to borrow money.
The rating will allow the school system to move forward on some capital projects.
Reeves said the board will deal with a number of related action items in August and September, and money should be available in September.
Next steps will include moving the Greg Peppers building, which will be dissembled and reassembled on the middle school campus near the Albertville High School baseball field.
Once it’s reconstructed, the building will provide short-term storage for the school system, and long-term storage for AHS.
In September, the system will move forward with selecting an architect and a design for a K-1 school, with plans for a bid to go out in late winter or early spring for a 2026 summer construction start. The approximate completion date for the new school would be summer of 2028, with school starting in the new facility for the 2028-29 school year.
The system also plans to select an architect firm for a new women’s athletic facility and a new football field house in August or September, then review and approve plans soon after. The plan is to break ground on both new facilities between December and February.
The search will continue for 10 acres to relocate the transportation department and the bus fleet. Reeves said the system will commence with an architectural rending of a new central office building this fall. He said it could be built at the Transportation Department site if Transportation is relocated.
The board approved the following personnel actions:
Resignations
Carin Johnson, secondary curriculum coordinator, effective Aug. 29.
David Kirby, bus driver, effective July 31.
Kristen Brown, teacher, Albertville Primary School, effective May 21.
Supplemental resignations
Olin Collins, assistant baseball coach, Albertville Middle School, effective June 22.
Samantha Searels, assistant cross country coach, Albertville High School, effective July 23.
Joshua McClendon, varsity football assistant II, AHS, effective July 22, with monthly extended duties ending July 31.
Jonathan Alexander, esports, AHS, effective June 30.
Caleb Johnston, varsity baseball assistant II, AHS, effective July 22.
Transfers
Roger Pierce, route driver from utility driver, effective Aug. 1.
Amy Whiteside, utility driver from bus aide, effective Aug. 1.
Jackie Webb, English learner teacher from Office of School Readiness auxiliary teacher (pending certification), Albertville Kindergarten-PreK, effective Aug. 1.
Jessica Odom, assistant lunchroom manager (succeeding Anthony Knight) from lunchroom worker, Albertville Elementary School, effective Aug. 1.
Ginger Hamilton, assistant lunchroom manager (succeeding Amy Whitten) from lunchroom worker, Albertville Intermediate School, effective Aug. 1.
Amber Kilgore, lunchroom worker from lunchroom worker at AHS, effective Aug. 1.
Supplemental transfers
Erika Amos, varsity softball assistant III from softball assistant at AMS, effective Aug. 1.
Olin Collins, football assistant II from football assistant at AMS, effective Aug. 1 with monthly extended duties effective Aug. 1.
Timothy Barnard, ninth grade assistant football coach from head football coach at AMS, effective Aug. 1.
Christian Walshus, varsity baseball assistant II from head baseball coach at AMS, effective Aug. 1.
Employments (effective Aug. 1 unless otherwise noted)
Samuel Faulkner, seasonal IT worker, Central Office, to be paid $15 per hour, not to exceed 25 hours per week, effective Aug. 4 through July 31, 2026.
Mallory Newman, seasonal worker, Central Office, to be paid $15 per hour, up to 10 hours per week, effective Aug. 6 through May 23, 2026.
Carol Bryant, bus side (succeeding Whiteside), AKPK.
Kristian Burnett, speech language pathologist (succeeding Leigh Forsythe and pending certification), AKPK.
Verenise Hernandez, auxiliary teacher (new position and pending background), APS.
Emily Hill, succeeding (replacing Brown).
Micah Muscato, teacher (succeeding Dusty Royster), APS.
Mark Leigeber, lunchroom worker (succeeding Odom), AES.
Mamie Smith, auxiliary teacher, (replacing Brittany Jones), AES, effective Aug. 11 through May 22, 2025.
Arielle Clay lunchroom worker (succeeding Kilgore), AHS.
Marilyn Watson, business education teacher (succeeding Kriscenda Aaron and pending certification/background clearance), AHS.
Cameron Mitchell, strength and conditioning teacher, AHS.
Supplemental assignments (effective Aug. 1)
Crystal King, social media, AES.
Melanie Gibson, Technology Team, AES.
Audra Sanders, yearbook.
Amber Works, federal program liaison, AES.
Joshua McClendon, football assistant, AMS.
Emmett Howe, head baseball coach, AMS.
Joshua Sullivan, head softball coach, AMS.
Trevan Pankey, assistant football coach, AMS.
Staci Jarrett, softball assistant, AMS.
Justin Murphy, boys tennis head coach, AHS.
Justin Price, assistant tennis coach, AHS.
Kenneth Chaffin, assistant athletic director, AHS; head football coach, AMS, with monthly extended duties effective Aug. 1.
Kassidie Bailey, auxiliary band assistant, AHS.
Marisa Dunn, assistant volleyball coach.
Caleb Johnston, varsity softball assistant II, AHS.
David Gonder, assistant wrestling coach, AHS; junior varsity girls soccer coach with monthly extended duties effective Aug. 1.
Independent contracts (all effective Aug. 1 through July 31, 2026, unless otherwise noted)
David Chapman, to provide services as assistant baseball coach at AMS. Payment will be funded by the board in an amount up to $2,500 between Aug. 12 through May 21, 2026.
George Walker, to provide choreography services for the VocalPoint show choir 2025-26 competition show. Payment will be funded by VocalPoint up to $150 between Oct. 1 and May 20, 2026.
Emily Vaughn, to provide services as co-ed track assistant I at AHS. Payment will be funded by the board up to $3,000.
Lee Fleming, to provide services as PA system and automated lights operator during home varsity football games. Payment will be funded by football funds at $25 per hour not to exceed $500, from Aug. 1 through Nov. 28.
Chris Reese, to provide services as softball assistant at AHS. Payment will be funded by the softball booster club up to $2,500.
Levi Webb, to provide services as assistant swim coach at AHS. Payment will be funded by the board up to $750.
Victor Zavala, to provide services as the ninth grade boys soccer coach at AHS. Payment will be funded by the board in an amount not to exceed $3,000.
Greg Henderson, to provide services as the girls tennis head coach at AHS. Payment will be funded by the board up to $3,100.
Quinton Williams to provide services as the varsity flag football head coach at AHS. Payment will be funded by the board up to $4,100.
Michael Willingham, to provide services as the assistant softball coach at AMS. Payment will be funded by the softball booster club up to $2,500, from July 7 through June 30, 2026.
Clay Minor, to provide services as middle school flag football assistant coach at AMS. Payment will be funded by the board up to $1,500.
Justin Waddle, to provide services as the girls assistant basketball coach at AHS. Payment will be funded by the Basketball Tip-Off Club up to $3,000.
Emily Vaughn, to provide services as assistant cross country coach at AHS. Payment will be funded by the board up to $2,000.
Kelly Hill, to provide professional development for EL teachers at Albertville City Schools. Payment will be funded by the board up to $1,600.80, effective Aug. 5.
Justin Brown, to provide services as JV flag football coach at AHS. Payment will be funded by the board up to $2,500.
Claire Ogstad, to provide services as assistant swim coach at AHS. Payment will be funded by the board in up to $750.
Cassandra Mullinax, to provide training to all setters (7th-12th grade) in the Albertville volleyball program. Payment for services will be funded by volleyball funds up to $320, effective Aug. 4.
Independent contracts
Twin Acres to provide physical therapy services to identified students between Oct. 1 and Sept. 30.
Jenni Davis to observe and make educational and programming recommendations for identified students for the remainder of this fiscal year and the 2026 fiscal year
Abby Burns to provide speech and language therapy to identified students for the 2025-26 school
Two contract addendums with Sign Language Interpreting Services.
In other action, the board approved:
Awarding a low bid of $265,500 for re-roofing projects at Albertville Elementary, Albertville Kindergarten-Pre-K, and Albertville Intermediate to Roofing Solutions LLC.
The superintendent’s appointment of Carrie Jefferson to the Sick Leave Bank Committee.
The schedule of athletic and academic supplements.
An amendment to the fiscal year 2026 budget.
An agreement with Sand Mountain Amphitheater and Park to pay $350,000 over the next 12 months for use of its facilities for meetings and trains, athletic activities and a membership benefit for all employees.
Out-of-state travel for AHS cross-country team to travel to Chattanooga, Tennessee, on Sept. 13, to participate in “The Nooga at Night 5K.”
An agreement with the city of Albertville to provide five school resource officers and five crossing guards to the Board of Education for placement within various Albertville City Schools from Aug. 1 through June 30, 2026. SROs shall provide service three days before the first day of school, during regular school days and summer school camps in June for a total of 200 days.
The first day of school for Albertville students will be Tuesday, with kindergarten students having a staggered start for the first three days.
The next Albertville Board of Education meeting will be Aug. 19.
The board will have budget presentation meetings at 5 p.m. Sept. 8-9, and will vote on the budget at 7:45 a.m. Sept. 11.
Three architects — Lathan-McKee, Ward Scott Morris, and VanPeursem Architects — will offer presentations to the board at 5 p.m. Sept. 18. Each firm will have 45 minutes to present.
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