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By DONALD MOTTERN | Staff Writer

PELHAM – The Pelham City Schools Board of Education approved a number of annual agreements, alterations and school specific improvements at a regularly scheduled board meeting on Tuesday, July 30.

The regularly scheduled board meeting concluded a busy month of operation for the Pelham BOE, which met for three special called sessions throughout the month prior to the occurrence of the regularly held meeting.

Ahead of the new school year, these meetings largely involved the acceptance of a long list of resignations, employments and other personnel matters—in addition to an executive session discussion related to recent real estate developments.

At the onset of the meeting, the board approved nine new personnel items amounting to two resignations or retirements and seven new employments within the school system that included one bus driver, three associates and three new teachers.

The board also issued their approval for the disposal of 251 old lockers that have previously been in use within the Pelham High School volleyball, basketball, cheer and wrestling locker rooms.

“The lockers currently on the agenda are being sold and replaced with the new lockers that were approved during the April 30 board meeting,” PCS Superintendent Chuck Ledbetter said. “The new lockers will be installed (to replace these old ones) in the volleyball, wrestling, cheer and basketball locker rooms.”

At the behest of Ledbetter, the board also approved an alteration to the wording in the Pelham student code of conduct related to the random drug testing of students involved in extracurricular activities.

Prior to the change, the wording stipulated that students involved in “competitive” activities could be subject to random testing. Ledbetter explained that clubs and activities such as scholars bowl and the debate team may or may not be seen as competitive based on decided definitions.

“This is the policy that allows us to do random drug testing of students who take part in extracurricular activities,” Ledbetter said. “Rather than having to get into the definition of what is competitive and what is not, we decided to just take that word out and say that if you are in extracurricular activities you may be subject to random drug tests.”

Ledbetter shared that random drug testing for students provides an excuse for students to decline an offer to use drugs when there is peer pressure.

“It gives them that reason to tell someone, ‘I can’t, I might get drug tested.,’” Ledbetter said. We are not foolish enough to think that we can thwart every issue that is out there, but if we can help our students and give them tools for handling life, it is a good thing.”

In the absence of Assistant Superintendent Floyd Collins, Ledbetter also led the board in a review of recent accomplishments, upgrades and finished projects across PCS’ four school campuses in the leadup to the new school year.

Pelham Oaks received note for the recent installation of speed bumps across the school’s primary loading and unloading area.

“School administrators have reported that parents were speeding through this area last year at Pelham Oaks,” Ledbetter said. “In one particular incident, one student was almost hit and injured. These speed reducing measures should help prevent such future incidents and we are very happy to have that done ahead of the school year.”

Pelham Oaks was also recognized for having finished several refurbishments ahead of students making their return, including a fresh coat of floor wax, new cosmetic painting in the cafeteria, work toward new turf and the installation of a memorial bench honoring their late school secretary Melanie Sherer.

“The family is very appreciative of the school and to Mr. (Chase) Holden for their support of the project,” Ledbetter said. “Let me say what a fitting way to remember such a loving and dedicated employee and a family that has meant a lot to our school system. We miss her.”

Pelham Ridge Elementary was then highlighted for having finished the installation of a new security fence that now runs from the school’s playground area to the south entrance of the school. That project was first requested last year by former principal Lisa Baxter prior to her leaving the position.

Ledbetter further congratulated Pelham Ridge’s new principal, Khadidr Jones, for her attention to detail and having pinpointed several areas throughout the school in need of new paint.

In addition to these areas receiving the needed work, Ledbetter further discussed how Collins was able to work with Jones in the removal of surplus inventory away from the school in an effort that freed up needed space.

Pelham Park Middle was mentioned for its completion of new renovations to a special needs classroom to accommodate a specific student who will be transitioning up from elementary school at the start of the new year.

Pelham High School also received work over the summer, including the work done to the school roof and the completion of renovations and upgrades to the lighting and audio systems within the high school’s auditorium.

“While there were a few initial challenges with the lighting configuration, the finished product turned out great,” Ledbetter said. “We are very pleased to have the new equipment installed and all while remaining within the allocated budget for the project, which these days is remarkable.”

Ledbetter stipulated that the while the school has allowed other organizations to utilize the school auditorium in the past, future usages moving forward will be required to use designated and authorized members of staff to operate the sound system and the lights.

“(Outside usage and misusage) is part of what shortened the life of the old system in the past,” Ledbetter said. “A lot of people believe they know how to operate the system because they may have worked a different system in the past—next thing you know they’ve moved a lot of levers and turned a lot of knobs and it just doesn’t take long for things to go bad.”

In addition, Ledbetter also announced that PCS’ video surveillance project had been completed, with the successful installation of 269 cameras.

“We are pleased that the project is finished and this project that we are using throughout the school system is the same one that we have used at Pelham Oaks for many years,” Ledbetter said. “It has served very well and done a good job. We’re excited about the additions of these cameras to compliment the vape detectors that were installed during the 2022-2023 school year. The cameras are accessible through the web via an app that is available to all of our administrators and authorized personnel.”

Ledbetter concluded his remarks by providing detail on the replacement of Pelham City Schools’ visitor management system.

At the start of this academic year, PCS will be transitioning to the use of Circle as the new provider of its visitor management system and replacing Raptor, the current system.

“We’ve been using Raptor since 2016 to check in visitors to the school,” Ledbetter said. “It scans their identification against the national sex offender database. Circle, the new system, will perform the same process with some additional features that are helpful to the schools.”

According to Ledbetter, those additional services will include the ability to maintain knowledge of every individual allowed into the school through the use of scanned QR codes that will be required for those attending school functions such as awards-day ceremonies, music, choir and holiday programs.

“Parents will receive a QR code for the event which the school will then scan and print a label for those that check in,” Ledbetter said. “This will allow for the school to account for every single individual inside the building.”

Circle is a local company based in Homewood that provides services to other surrounding school systems such as Mountainbrook, Trussville, Hoover and Homewood.

During the meeting, the board also approved the following items as part of their agenda:

• Approved the creation of a new job posting within Pelham City Schools of a Registered Behavior Technician
• Awarded Osborne Brothers, Inc. the Central Alabama CNP Consortium Supplement Groceries bid for the 2024-2025 school year
• Extended the contract period with Regional Produce Distributors for Fresh Produce, expiring July 31, 2024, for an additional twelve-month period: Aug. 1, 2024-July 31, 2025
• Approved the 2024-2025 Pelham City Schools Salary Schedule Changes and updates
• Amended the 2024-2025 school year calendar to make Tuesday, Sept. 3, a professional development day, and “not” a day for students
• Approved the 2024-2025 TEAMS contracts. Salaries will be determined based upon TEAMS salary matrix based upon degree and “verified” years of experience
• Approved the 2024-2025 part-time contracts for Shannon Bogert, Stephen Richard Powers, Jeff Vick, Beth Thompson and Sherry Wood
• Renewed the agreement between PCS and Mary-Margaret Newland to conduct speech evaluations for students whose primary home language is Spanish
• Renewed the agreement between Pelham City Schools and Angel Hubbard to administer assessments to early intervention referrals, as well as, current PCS students
• Renewed the agreement between PCS and Misty Powell to administer physical therapy assessments and provide physical therapy services to eligible students
• Renewed the agreement between PCS and Nikki Johnson to administer occupational therapy assessments and provide occupational therapy services to identified students in PCS including Pelham Oaks and Pelham Ridge
• Renewed the agreement between PCS and Beth Myers to perform duties as an interpreter for identified students and parents that require an English to Spanish interpreter in the schools
• Renewed the agreement between PCS and Emma Phillips to render occupational therapy services as deemed appropriate, selected and referred by the director of Special Education Programs to students
• Renewed the agreement between PCS and Birmingham Speech & Hearing Associates, LLC to provide audiological services for Pelham City Schools for the 2024-2025 school year