JOB UNFINISHED: Board votes against hiring outside contractor

Published 5:45 am Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Members of the Limestone County School Board expressed frustration Monday over what they deem to be unfinished work by a contractor at East Limestone High School, but they voted against hiring someone else to do the work.

The board hired Florence-based RDT Enterprises for school remodeling projects, which also included bathrooms at Tanner and East. The board voiced concerns last June about whether the company would be able to complete the jobs before school started back.

Maintenance Director Steve Wallace told board members Monday RDT’s work was supposed to be completed by Aug. 2, but the company didn’t start working on punch-list items until October.

“They kept trying to skimp over the floor and leave it the way it was,” he said.

When asked about problems with the floor, Glaze said they amounted to issues with the tile that simply “looks awful.”

On Tuesday’s agenda was a quote from Witt’s Flooring to remove the VCT flooring from the hallway at a cost of $40,585. The funds were held back from RDT’s contract.

Wallace said RDT sent the school board a final invoice in November, though punch-list items had not been completed. He said the company had 45 days to complete the items and were given the months of November and December and still didn’t deliver.

The board ultimately voted 4-3 against hiring another company to complete the work.

“We need to wait because it’s RDT’s money,” said board member Bradley Young.

In other facilities news, the board approved auctioning 12 portable classrooms at Owens Elementary School. The buildings will be auctioned by a local company that had not been determined Monday night.

Wallace said it cost the school system about $20,000 to build each building. He anticipated receiving $3,000 to $8,000 each at auction.

Board member Charles Shoulders asked if the buildings could be used elsewhere, but Wallace described the buildings as being “at the end of their life.”

Board member Bret McGill asked if the money from the sale of the portables could be used to repair the floor at East Limestone High School.

SafeDefend

Elsewhere, Limestone County Schools Director of Safety Rusty Bates said a total of 686 SafeDefend boxes had been installed systemwide and 80 more would soon be installed. Twenty of those are slated for Creekside Elementary, while 60 will be installed at the new Sugar Creek Elementary School.

Bates said the school system had spent $401,000 thus far, while the next round of boxes would cost about $81,000. The school system also paid an additional $27,000 for a maintenance package, which covers replacement of flashlight batteries and other items.

The SafeDefend boxes are black cases in each Limestone County classroom or office that contains safety equipment a teacher or faculty member can use in case of an intruder. The system is also capable of alerting all law enforcement, medical and first responders of an emergency once the system is activated.

Personnel actions

In other business, the board approved the following contacts:

• Melissa Aldridge, Title I reading intervention teacher, Elkmont High School, paid $27 per hour, not to exceed $1,998.00, funding by Title I, effective May 3-25;

• Cindy Witt, Title I reading intervention teacher, Elkmont High School, paid $27 per hour, not to exceed $1,998.00, funding by Title I, effective May 3-25; and

• Renita Kelley, Title I reading intervention teacher, Tanner High School, paid $27 per hour, not to exceed $2,835.00, funding by Title I, effective May 3-25.

The board approved the following new positions:

• 21st Century Community Learning Center, part-time district coordinator position, Owens Elementary School and Piney Chapel Elementary School, paid $33 per hour, Monday through Friday 3-5:30 p.m. during school year and Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m.-1 p.m. during four-week summer program, effective May 3-Sept. 30;

• 21st Century Community Learning Center, part-time instructional assistant, Piney Chapel Elementary School, paid $12 per hour, Monday through Friday 3-6 p.m. during school year and Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. during four-week summer program, effective May 3-June 30; and

• 21st Century Community Learning Center part-time teachers, Piney Chapel Elementary School, paid $27 per hour, Monday through Friday 3-6 p.m. during school year and Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. during four-week summer program, effective May 3-June 30.

The board approved the following retirements:

• Debbie Cruse, inclusion assistant, alternative school, retiring, effective June 1;

• Susan Wiley, special education teacher, Ardmore High School, retiring effective June 1;

• Jennifer Smith, EL itinerant teacher, Blue Springs Elementary/Clements High/Owens Elementary, retiring effective June 1;

• Ken Engle, band director, West Limestone High School, retiring effective June 1.

The board accepted the following resignations:

• Allena Fogg, technical specialist, Ardmore High School, effective June 1;

• Cassie L. Moore, CNP assistant manager only, Clements High School, effective May 25;

• Amanda Fee, music teacher, Creekside Elementary School, resigning effective May 26;

• Larissa Dison, 21st Century Community Learning Center part-time coordinator only, Piney Chapel Elementary School, effective June 1;

• Gary Redus, head baseball coach, Tanner High School, retroactive to March 15;

• Lisa Adams, varsity cheerleader coach only, West Limestone High School, retroactive to April 11;

• Kay Peek, special education instructional assistant, West Limestone High School, retroactive to May 1;

• Irving McGuire, middle school keyboarding teacher, Ardmore High School, effective May 26;

• Andrea Martin, social studies teacher, Ardmore High School, effective May 26;

• Danna Jones, special education teacher, Ardmore High School, effective May 26; and

• Ruth Tatum, math teacher, East Limestone High School, effective June 1.

The board accepted the following new personnel:

• Alton Nix, custodian, Elkmont High School, replacing Karen Brown, salary is determined according to the current Limestone County Board of Education salary schedule, effective May 2; and

• Maurice Belser, physical education teacher/head football coach, Tanner High School, replacing Laron White, salary is determined according to the current Limestone County Board of Education salary schedule, effective May 2.

The board announced the following temporary positions:

• Marinda Dees, kindergarten camp teacher, Blue Springs Elementary School, to be paid $27 per hour, not to exceed 23 hours or $621, funded by Title I, effective July 10 and July 17-19;

• Brittny Newton, kindergarten camp teacher, Blue Springs Elementary School, to be paid $27 per hour, not to exceed 23 hours or $621 funded by Title I, effective July 10 and July 17-19;

• JaDonna Stowe, kindergarten camp teacher, Blue Springs Elementary School, to be paid $27 per hour, not to exceed 23 hours or $621, funded by Title I, effective July 10 and 17-19;

• Wanda Crafts, kindergarten camp teacher, Blue Springs Elementary School, to be paid $27 per hour, not to exceed 23 hours or $621, funded by Title I, effective July 10 and 17-19;

• Shauntaya Mitchell, CNP manager, Piney Chapel Elementary School, summer meals program, to be paid $15.25 per hour, not to exceed 30 hours per week, June 5-July 20, effective June 5;

• Jill Grisham, CNP worker, Piney Chapel Elementary School, summer meals program, to be paid $13.95 per hour, not to exceed 30 hours per week, June 5-July 20, effective June 5;

• Angie Campbell, CNP worker, Piney Chapel Elementary School, summer meals program, to be paid $13.95 per hour, not to exceed 30 per week, June 5-July 29, effective June 5;

• Lisa Beddingfield, CNP worker, Piney Chapel Elementary School, summer Meals Program, to be paid $13.95 per hour, not to exceed 30 hours per week, June 5-July 20, effective June 5;

• Jennifer Jeffreys, CNP worker, Piney Chapel Elementary School, summer meals program, to be paid $13.95 per hour, not to exceed 30 hours per week, June 5-July 20, effective June 5;

• Brittany Hicks, CNP worker, Piney Chapel Elementary School, summer meals program, to be paid $13.95 per hour, not to exceed 30 hours per week, June 5-June 29, effective June 5, 2017

• Cindy Stinnett, summer receptionist, East Limestone High School, paid $10 per hour, funds will be used from legislative donations from Sen. Bill Holtzclaw, not to exceed 40 hours per week, effective June 6-July 27;

• Kim Tucker, summer receptionist, East Limestone High School, paid $10 per hour, funds will be used from legislative donations from Sen. Bill Holtzclaw, not to exceed 40 hours per week, effective June 6-July 27;

• Summer school staff, (Cynthia LeSueur, English; Tamara Hilliard, science; Ashley Sprague, history; Bryan Jach, math; Amanda Wilson, special education) Career Technical Center, paid $20 per hour, effective May 31-June 29; and

• Summer school technical specialist, Elaine McCord, Career Technical Center, paid $12.50 per hour, effective May 31-June 29.