By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

Alabaster Board of Education Coordinator of Administrative Services Dr. Phillip Hammonds during the board’s Nov. 14 meeting laid out several milestones aimed at helping the city separate from Shelby County Schools in the 2013-2014 school year.

“We are at a point where there are a number of milestones we have to meet over the next three months,” Hammonds said. “I think our goal is to start operations in the 2013-2014 school year. All these things move forward with that goal.”

Hammonds presented a list of milestones for November, December and January. Some milestones, such as continuing separation negotiations with the Shelby County School System and holding monthly afternoon meetings with school administrators, were listed for each month.

In November, Hammonds said he would like to present the board with a draft organizational chart for the city school system’s central office and a list of possible job descriptions for central office staff members.

Hammonds also said he would like the board to begin drafting a school district policy manual, invite Alabaster officials to BOE meetings to share financial updates and begin an assessment of the school facilities in Alabaster’s city limits in November. During the Nov. 14 meeting, the Alabaster BOE voted unanimously to award a $20,000 bid to the Birmingham-based Vokert company to conduct the facilities assessment.

In December, Hammonds said he would like Volkert to complete the assessment, and would like the BOE to approve the central office organizational chart and job descriptions. Hamonds also encouraged the board to post a school district chief financial officer position and begin accepting resumes for the job in December.

In January, Hammonds said the board should post job openings for the central office positions approved in the organizational chart and begin holding meetings with parent-teacher organizations, school faculty members and city officials. Hammonds also said he would like the board to interview and possibly hire the district’s chief financial officer, work with the state Department of Education “on budgeting and instructional-related matters” and prepare informational letters to send to all parents of Alabaster students.

In other business, the board:

-Heard from several Alabaster bus drivers, who said they were concerned about Alabaster possibly contracting out its transportation services.

Hammonds said the Alabaster School Board has not discussed any plans to contract out the transportation services.

“We don’t want anyone to be penalized for staying with the Alabaster School District,” Hammonds said.

-Entered into an executive session to discuss a pending legal matter.