When it comes to local school systems and 2020, it’s difficult to not have COVID-19 and the impact it has had on the last two school years immediately come to mind. Nothing else has had a greater impact on education this year.

School systems across the state shut their doors in March on the order of Gov. Kay Ivey and State Superintendent Eric Mackey. Students were forced to spend the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year working from home as teachers and their pupils scrambled to adjust to remote learning.

Administrators put plans in place, and everyone did the best they could to get through the end of the school year in May. As the year rolled on and August loomed ever closer, the focus shifted to how to return students to the classroom safely and whether or not the 2020-2021 year would begin online.

Limestone County Schools students returned Aug. 7, while Athens City Schools students returned Aug. 17. Both school systems said they were committed to returning to in-person instruction, but students were given the option to start out online-only for the first nine weeks.

“Parents are very nervous,” ACS’ then-Acting Superintendent Beth Patton said at the time. “We’ve been getting lots of phone calls wanting to know if we’re going to follow suit and go remote. We wanted to reassure them we’re not going to do that because other people are doing it.

“We’re going to do what’s best for people in our community. Overwhelmingly, parents have reached out and said if there is any way possible, we want schools open. We have that remote option (for families) to manage that at home.”

Lindsay Lane Christian Academy reopened Aug. 6, and Athens Bible School returned to the classroom Aug. 12. Officials at both schools said a lot of preparation went into the process of reopening.

COVID complications

Things have largely run smoothly for ACS since returning to the classroom. At a Athens City Schools Board of Education meeting just before Thanksgiving, Patton said just five students and five staff members had tested positive for coronavirus.

The same could not be said for members of the LCS system. A systemwide closure was enacted before the Christmas holiday in December, and Elkmont and East Limestone each announced closures during the fall semester. A surge of confirmed virus cases and lack of substitute teachers or staff led to the decision each time.

“It’s always a difficult choice for me to make to close schools,” LCS Superintendent Randy Shearouse said when announcing the Christmastime closure. “I do feel that it’s so very important that students are in school every day that we can possibly be there. It’s such an important place in a child’s life that they have that caring teacher and instruction.”

At that time, 1 in 8 LCS students were under quarantine, while 77 district staff members were quarantined and 39 were confirmed positive.

Legal action

Not everything muddying the waters this year for the local school systems was related to COVID-19. Both LCS and ACS had to face legal matters as well.

For the county system, the decision to place an employee on leave while an internal investigation was conducted led to a lawsuit and a resignation. Then-director of human resources Mark Isley was placed on leave Jan. 27, then filed a lawsuit against the board and Mike Owens, LCS’ interim superintendent, alleging retaliation and a coverup.

A hearing was set, postponed and ultimately canceled after mediation in the case. Isley resigned May 31.

For ACS, potential legal issues arose when then-Superintendent Trey Holladay had his house searched by the FBI as part of an investigation. Holladay was placed on leave in June and Patton was named acting superintendent. The ACS Board ultimately chose to buy out Holladay’s contract in October, and Patton was changed to interim superintendent.

LCS faced another employee issue when it was announced a Clements High School teacher had been arrested for engaging in a sex act with a student under 19. Brody Gibson resigned when the investigation was launched and was arrested Oct. 9. He was released shortly after on $7,500 bond.

Superintendent search

Both ACS and LCS hired new superintendents this year.

For the county, Shearouse was hired to take up the role. He served as superintendent in Effingham County, Georgia, for 15 years, and he retired from there in June after a total of 32 years with the system. However, when interviewing in Alabama in January, he told members of the Limestone County Board of Education that he wasn’t done with education yet.

“You really can make a difference in the life of a child,” he said. “… There’s no job I feel that can make a bigger difference in the life of a child than a superintendent.”

After serving as acting and interim superintendent following Holladay’s placement on administrative leave, Patton was ultimately hired as the new superintendent for the city system. She became the first female in the role for Athens City Schools.

“I think Mrs. Patton, in this particular spot we are in with Athens City Schools, is the exactly the right choice at the right time for us,” said ACS Board President Russell Johnson. “She will provide the type of leadership we need to move the system forward.”

Patton has been with Athens City Schools for the past 29 years. She said she started as an elementary school teacher before moving to the central office 11 years ago.

“I am so excited and honored,” she said after she was announced superintendent. “This is my community and my school system. I can’t wait. We have had a lot going on this year, but we have not missed a beat. It’s a great group to work with.”

Addition and subtraction

Several other major personnel moves occurred across the county this year.

Willie Moore was named the new executive principal at Athens High after Rick Carter moved to a new role at the ACS central office. Moore is the first Black executive principal in the school’s history. He had been an assistant principal at AHS for nearly three years.

“I am deeply humbled, because we have an outstanding board with a new superintendent, which is awesome,” Moore said. “We have great teachers, and our kids are amazing.”

Amanda Tedford became the new principal at iAcademy at Athens Elementary after her predecessor, Cindy Davis, took on the same role at Athens Intermediate.

Athens Bible School Principal Randall Adams stepped down from his position after nine years.

“I’ve had a great run,” said Adams, adding he’d worked throughout Limestone County as a counselor but had never been a principal before Athens Bible. June 30 was his last day.

Former Vice Principal Chris Duke took over the top spot for ABS July 1.

The changes at local schools were not just of personnel but buildings as well. The old Athens Elementary School and Athens Bible School buildings were demolished to make way for new structures.