Albertville school board sees fiscal success

March 27, 2024

ALBERTVILLE – The Albertville Board of Education received a glowing financial report during their meeting on Tuesday night. 

 

Katie Condit from MDA reviewed the 2023 financial audit with the board and reported no findings. The financial status increased for the 2023 fiscal year by $24.3 million. This change in net position is from continuing to control expenditures and growth in capital assets. Highlights from the audit included:

  • The total cost of the board’s programs for the year was $66.85 million. After taking away a portion of these costs paid for with fees, intergovernmental aid, interest earnings and other miscellaneous sources, the net benefit for the Albertville City taxpayers was $24.3 million. The state’s program revenues provided $46.18 million.

  • The general fund revenues during the fiscal year exceeded expenditures by $2.69 million.

  • At the end of the fiscal year, the fund balance for the general fund was $15.30 million. The board is in compliance with the one month operating reserve recommended by the state.

 

The board approved the grant application process to request funding for seven First-Class Pre-K classrooms administered by the Office of School Readiness (OSR) and the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education (ACDECE) for the 2024-2025 school year. 

 

The total cost for each Pre-K classroom is $116,610, which includes $93,288 of OSR funding plus the supplemental funding amount paid by the school system, which must be at least 25-percent of the award. 

 

Fifth and sixth grade students at Albertville Intermediate School will not have E-learning days in April to accommodate for testing. In order to maximize instructional time, AIS leadership changed the testing schedule so that students would not have to be out of school during testing. All AIS students will now attend school on April 10-11 and April 17-18. 

 

Superintendent Dr. Bart Reeves provided the board with an update on the Albertville Innovation Academy (AIA). The facility is still on schedule and should be completed by the end of April. A principal for the school is expected to be announced at the April board meeting. 

 

Applications for students who want to apply to attend AIA will be available beginning April 1. Students will be able to submit applications April 1-30. 

To provide families with a better understanding of AIA, an informational night will be held on Thursday, April 4, at 5 p.m. in the Fine Arts Center. Families and students will have an opportunity to ask questions, engage with faculty and learn more about the opportunities available at AIA. 

 

During the meeting, the board also:

  • Approved the February financial report. The beginning fund balance was $54,472,269.49. The ending fund balance is $56,385,012.09. The general fund balance is $24,649,681.64. February revenue totaled $7,654,783.49. Expenditures totaled $6,954,259.28.

  • Approved the revised 2023-2024 salary schedule to include a principal’s position at the Albertville Innovation Academy.

  • Approved several fundraisers.

  • Approved ACS to join the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GCA), a national governmental cooperative purchasing program.

  • Approved four buses to surplus. Three will be scrapped and one will be sold on GovDeals.

  • Approved the negotiated price of $133,980 submitted by Flow for a water jet for CTE.

  • Approved out of state field trips for FCCLA to travel to Seattle, Wash., June 28 - July 4, 2024; FFA to travel to El Reno, Okla., April 29, May 3, 2024; and for the ProStart Culinary Team to travel to Baltimore, Md., April 25-20, 2024. All three groups will be competing in national competitions. 

 

The following personnel actions were approved:

  • Retirements/Resignations

  1. Melissa Lindley, retiring as head band director at AMS, effective May 31, 2024.

  2. Sherri Hill, updated effective retirement date as HR/Payroll Supervisor at CO from Nov. 20, 2024, to June 30, 2024.

  3. Suzannah Yoder, resigning as CNP director at CO, effective April 15, 2024.

  4. Lesley Reavis, resigning systemwide aide, effective March 29, 2024.

  5. Stacie Wright, retiring as a general elective teacher at AMS, effective May 31, 2024.

  • Supplement Resignations

  1. Jon Cotten, resigning as varsity girls basketball head coach at AHS, effective March 13, 2024, with monthly extended duties ending April 30, 2024.

  2. Melissa Lindley, resigning as head band director at AMS, effective May 31, 2024, with monthly extended duties ending May 31, 2024.

  3. Madison Badners, resigning as JV cheer coach at AHS, effective March 14, 2024, with monthly extended duties ending March 31, 2024.

  • Employments

  1. Cynthia Pullen, elementary teacher at AES, replacing Kristina Eason, effective March 27, 2024.

  2. Leigh Forsythe, speech and language pathologist at AKPK, replacing Andrea Minton, effective Aug. 1, 2024.

  3. Donald Metz II, physical education teacher at AHS, replacing Anthony Harper and pending certification, effective March 27, 2024.

  • Supplement Assignments

  1. Derek Martin, football defensive coordinator, replacing Anthony Harper, effective Aug. 1, 2024, with monthly extended duties effective April 1, 2024.

  • Principal Contracts

  1. Lance Kitchens, effective July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2027.

  2. Steven Hudgins, effective July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2027.

  • Independent Contracts

  1. Karen Fancher, performance accompanist at AMS for state choral performance assessment, to be paid and not to exceed $150 by AMS choir funds, effective April 1, 2024 - May 20, 2024.

  2. Brian Domalik, AHS girls basketball training, to be paid and not to exceed $750 from the Tip-Off Club, effective March 27, 2024 - May 31, 2024.

  3. Noelle Stovall, Suzanna Mock and Chloe Roy, danceline audition judges at AHS, to be paid and not to exceed $100 each by AHS band funds, effective March 29, 2024 - March 29, 2024.

  4. Mary Bates, Alex Stephenson and Lori Hart, danceline audition judge at AHS, to be paid and not to exceed $100 by AHS band funds, effective April 12, 2024 - April 12, 2024.

Pictured from Monday night’s board of education meeting is, from left, Albertville Intermediate School Principal Steven Hudgins, Albertville Middle School Principal Lance Kitchens, Cindy Pullen and Superintendent Dr. Bart Reeves. Mr. Hudgins and Mr. Kitchens both received three-year extensions on their principal contracts. Mrs. Pullen will be teaching at Albertville Elementary School.