ACS absentee rate improving

This article first appeared in The Sand Mountain Leader on Oct. 29, 2025.

For the first nine weeks of the school year, Superintendent Bart Reeves told the Albertville City Board of Education the system’s chronic absenteeism showed a marked improvement over the first nine weeks in 2024 at all schools.

The district’s overall chronic absenteeism rate decreased from 15.98% in 2024 to 8.55% in 2025 — a 7.43% improvement that moved the school system below the state target of 10% chronic absenteeism.

As of Oct. 21, Albertville City Schools had 5,496 students enrolled districtwide.

“Our FY26 (fiscal year 2026) budget is based on enrollment of 5,713 that was submitted to the state in the fall of 2024. The FY27 ETF (Education Trust Fund) budget will be based on the 5,523 students that was submitted in September 2025,” Reeves said.

The number, which includes only K-12 students and not pre-K, represents a decrease of 190 students.

The board approved the Alabama Unsafe School Choice Option, presented for first reading Sept. 16, and the Vape Awareness, Education, and Prevent Policy required by state legislation. The vape policy was added to the student handbook.

The board approved the following personnel actions during the two meetings:

Resignations / Retirements

Transportation

• Jerry Pankey, mechanic, effective Dec. 31.

Albertville Primary / Elementary School

• Mark Leigeber, lunchroom worker, effective Oct. 10.

• Constance Keeling, elementary teacher, effective Nov. 30.

Albertville Primary

• Elvia Munoz Gonzalez, 12-month custodian, effective Sept. 24.

Supplemental Resignation

Albertville High

• David Cooper, athletic training supplement, effective Aug. 11.

Transfers

Albertville Intermediate

• Marielys Colon Gonzalez, lunchroom worker to 12-month custodian (succeeding Mark Sampson), effective Nov. 3.

• Delia Rabago Loya, lunchroom worker at AHS to lunchroom worker at AIS (succeeding Colon Gonzalez), effective Nov. 3.

Albertville High

• Ashley Simpson, lunchroom worker at APS/AES to lunchroom worker at AHS (succeeding Rabago Loya), effective Nov. 3.

Employments

Albertville Primary

• Caitlyn Sierra Bryan, speech language pathologist (new position, pending certification), effective Oct. 22.

Albertville Elementary

• Lauren Kreuze, elementary teacher (succeeding Constance Keeling), effective Nov. 3.

• Ashley Kilpatrick, lunchroom worker (succeeding Angela Gunnels), effective Nov. 3.

• Agustina Simon Mateo De Aguilon, lunchroom worker (succeeding Kristine Carter), effective Nov. 3.

Albertville High

• Ana Esquivel Cervantes, 12-month custodian (replacing Elvia Gonzalez), effective Oct. 20, 2025.

Other

• Zachary Stanford, substitute bus driver for trips, $15 per hour, effective Oct. 17 to May 22, 2026.

• Justin Balik, additional $2,000 as assistant basketball coach at AHS, paid by AHS Basketball Tip-Off Club, effective Nov. 19 to May 22, 2026.

• Dane Dahlke, additional $2,000 as assistant basketball coach at AHS, paid by AHS Basketball Tip-Off Club, effective Nov. 19 to May 22, 2026.

• James Nelson, $3,000 for additional football duties at AHS, paid by AHS general fund, effective Oct. 17 to May 25, 2026.

• Denise Bryant, bus aide for after-school tutoring route, paid half the daily Step 0 bus driver rate, effective Oct. 28 to May 22, 2026.

• Angie Gilbreath, bus driver for after-school tutoring route, paid half daily rate, effective Oct. 28 to May 22, 2026.

• William Yates, Jimmy Umphrey, Charlie Alldredge, Kelly Spaulding, Jon Clines Jr., Tiffany Smith, Amy Whiteside, Patricia Garrison and Lutricia Baldwin, bus aides for after-school tutoring routes.

After-School Tutoring Assignments

(Effective Sept. 15 to March 19, 2026)

Albertville Primary

• Cindi Rainey, after-school tutoring lead.

• Jamie Mayas, Leslie Heather Fann, Julie Lee, Magon Canady, Lindsay Harris, Lori Darnell, Trudy Vice, Destiny Liverett, Felicia Adams, Heather Busha, Rachel Davis, Jadea Chandler, Savannah Nelson and Mary Evan Gazaway, after-school tutoring teachers.

• Gina Reeves, Ashley Pankey, Taylor Starkey, Katelyn Gargus, Holley Sparks, Sonja Taylor, Sarah Melvin, Tiffany Baldwin, Abra Phillips, Christy Smith, Ashley Neuschwander and Rylei Willingham, substitute teachers.

• Adela Ventura, lunchroom worker.

• Kris Barreto, substitute aide.

Albertville Elementary

• Heather Kirby, Crystal King, Brandy Nicole Shankles, Cameron Drown, Abigail Carnley, Erin Lang, Leanna Britton, Brittany Stuart, Cinda Taylor, Cleary Asbury, Jennifer Watson, Amber Hale, Amanda Walker, Melanie Gibson, Aimee Jung, Robyn Zebro-Odneal, Audra Sanders, Skylar Smith, Buffy Sauls Bell, Michele Harris, Melissa Kennedy and Allison Moultrie, after-school tutoring teachers.

• Samantha Pontes and Macy South, aides.

• Nora Navarrete, lunchroom worker.

Albertville Intermediate

• Jacob Davis and Veronica Long, tutoring leads.

• Mallory Landen, Melanie Oliver, Steven Lang, Jonathan Campbell, Haley Tarvin and Jonathan Cole, teachers.

• Rebekah Woodall, Raven Cryar, Marisa Dunn, Amanda Gilbert, Autumn Fox and Pamela Lowery, substitute teachers.

• Kristi Miller, lunchroom worker.

• Chantel McEwen Ramadani, substitute lunchroom worker.

Albertville High

• April Pritchett, daily math lab, $20 per hour, effective Oct. 22 to May 22, 2026.

Contracts for Service

• LeShell Smith, math coach supporting Tier I and Tier II instructional practices, $40 per hour, not to exceed 20 hours per week, effective Oct. 20 to May 22, 2026.

• Andy Jones, employment contract for training, technical assistance and consultation services to federal programs and other ACS departments, compensation not to exceed $39,000 annually, effective Nov. 1, 2025 to Oct. 31, 2026.

Independent Contracts

• Jay Mastin, electronic clock operator for AHS basketball games, $35 per game, not to exceed $1,000, effective Oct. 17 to March 27, 2026.

• Cale Colvin, electronic clock operator for AMS basketball games, $30 per game, not to exceed $1,500, effective Oct. 22 to Feb. 27, 2026.

• Cale Colvin, electronic clock operator for AHS basketball games in the Auxiliary Gym, $35 per game, not to exceed $1,000, effective Oct. 17 to March 27, 2026.

• Lee Fleming, backup PA announcer for AHS home basketball games, $25 per hour, not to exceed $500, effective Oct. 17 to March 27, 2026.

• Taylor Gwaltney, soccer goalkeeper coach, compensation not to exceed $600, effective Oct. 17 to Dec. 19.

• Dametrius Swain, media day photos/videos and game highlights for AHS basketball, compensation $2,925 not to exceed $5,000, effective Oct. 17 to April 1, 2026.

• Cameron Hall, electronic clock operator for AHS basketball games in Main and Auxiliary gyms, $35 per game, not to exceed $1,000, effective Nov. 1 to March 27, 2026.

The board declared specified textbooks surplus and approved their destruction.

The board also approved out-of-state travel for the superintendent to accompany the Aggie Band on a trip to Orlando from Nov. 11–15, when the band is scheduled to perform in the Magic Kingdom Main Street Parade.

The board’s next meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Nov. 18