School board to vote Sept. 28

The Escambia County (Ala.) School Board has moved its next meeting to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 28, to vote again on whether or not the board will renew the contract for Superintendent Michele McClung.

At its Aug. 30 meeting School Board Attorney Kirk Garrett told the board that a survey filled out by board members gave McClung satisfactory rankings in 11 of 11 categories.

After Garrett's presentation, Coleman Wallace made a motion to extend the superintendent's contract until 2027 and have the attorneys and Board Chairman Danny Benjamin negotiate the new contract. Mike Edwards issued the second and the motion failed on a 4-3 vote with Wallace, Benjamin and Edwards voting yes to extend McClung's contract and Board members Cindy Jackson, Loumeek White, Mike Hoomes and Sherry Digmon voting no.

Benjamin then suggested tabling the issue until the Sept. 14 school board meeting.

The issue was not on the Sept. 14 agenda and Benjamin said he would like to call a special board meeting at 10 a.m. on Sept. 21 at the Atmore Central Office to address the issue.

Benjamin told the board that the audit came back with two minor infractions and it was time to renegotiate and extend McClung's contract.

The meeting has now been moved to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 28 at the central office in Brewton.

In other action at the Sept. 14 meeting, the board unanimously approved the 2023-2024 fiscal year budget.

The board also approved:

- An out-of-state trip for W.S. Neal High School FFA to attend the 96th annual national convention in Indianapolis, Ind., on Oct. 31 through Nov. 4 with 10 to 12 students attending.

- Approved an additional $1,000 for the Automobile Fund Participation, which was amended for one school bus being left off the original list.

- Approved to register as a charter school authorizer pursuant to the Alabama School Choice and Student Opportunity Act. McClung explained if someone applied for a charter school in the county, the school system needs to be in those discussions saying "If we don't, someone else will" and the motion gives the school board the right to review applications.

- Approved $41,524.46 per year to purchase SentinelOne anti-virus software from CDW-G. It was noted the software is required by the state and will be paid from a cybersecurity grant.

- Approved $54,474 to purchase NextGen Financial Solution, NextGen Document Services and NextGen Housing effective November, 2023, through October, 2024 from Harris School Solutions.

- Approved using grant funds to spend $77,605 to purchase a visitor management program from Centegix for a three-year term.

- Approved grant funds of $103,500 to contract with Bailey Education Group for administrator training and coaching support.

- Approved using grant funds of $14,087.36 to renew its subscription with Brightly Software, Inc., for maintenance work order and inventory software.

- Approved contracting with Say It Sow LLC for speech pathologist language services for $80 per hour effective Oct. 1, 2023 through May 22, 2023 using American Rescue funds.

- Approved $34,850 in grant funds to contract with West Instructional Services, LLC., for ACT skills and strategies professional development for teachers and ACT intensive training classes for juniors at Escambia County High School, Flomaton High School and W.S. Neal High School.

- Approved spending $69,345 in Elementary and Secondary Emergency Relief Funds to contract with Presence Learning for a clinical web-based service platform utilized by students to determined to be at-risk.

- Approved the diesel and gasoline transportation bid from Southern Energy Company.