By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

ALABASTER – Teachers in the Alabaster City School System got a surprise visit from the system’s superintendent and Board of Education members on Nov. 19, as the system continued a yearly pre-Thanksgiving tradition.

Throughout the day, Superintendent Dr. Wayne Vickers and School Board Members Adam Moseley, Jamia Alexander-Williams, Dr. John Myrick and Derek Henderson visited every employee at every school in the city and hand-delivered extra compensation checks after the School Board approved the checks on Nov. 15 for the fifth-consecutive year.

School leaders did not announce when they were distributing the checks or how much they would be this year.

Each ACS certified employee, which includes most teachers, received $700 checks, and classified employees, such as support staff and school resource officers, received $350 checks. By the time the checks were hand delivered, the funds were already in the employees’ bank accounts.

Vickers said the school system is happy to offer the extra compensation to reward the employees’ hard work throughout the year, and said ACS distributes the money before Thanksgiving to help employees with the holiday shopping season.

“I’m excited that the board does this every year,” Vickers said. “It’s just a wonderful day, and I always enjoy it very much.”

As with past years, the day was filled with plenty of laughter, hugs and even some tears as the ACS leaders made their rounds through the city’s six school buildings.

Moseley said the experience is one of his favorite days of the year.

“We want to say thanks for everything they do for all of our kids,” Moseley said. “Obviously, giving out the checks is great, but for me the biggest thing is being able to go around and personally thank every employee. It’s a full day, but it’s a fun day.”