By Shaun Szkolnik, for the Tribune
TRUSSVILLE — The Trussville City Schools Board met Thursday, July 25.
Dr. Pattie Neill announced that Dr. Lisa Berry would be the new assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction. She also introduced Mary Roundtree as the new assistant principle for Paine Elementary School.
In other news, Neill announced that the school system would be getting a brand new building of its own.
“Tuesday night the city council made a move to rezone some property,” said Neill. “Central office for Trussville City Schools is inside that property, which means we will have our own building for the first time in the history of Trussville City Schools.”
The new building will be a two-story facility with an administration area, an office for the board, and multiple meeting rooms.
The cost of the building will be provided for by a separate fund held by the city and will not come from the school budget at all.
Several alterations to school facilities will be taking place soon.
Cahaba Elementary will be creating an outdoor classroom that will afford students a better opportunity to learn about applied science. The space, which will be called the outdoor learning lab, will allow students to learn about plant propagation, conservation and cross-pollination. There will be a 20-foot by a 30-foot covered pavilion with a stone base, concrete caps and a large patio area with seating and workspaces.
Paine Elementary will be adding turf to sections of the inner courtyard. The space is large enough to hold all the students for a single gathering, and the turf will add value to the area. Picnic tables and benches will also be added to the area. The PTO will be covering the costs of the upgrade.
The library doors at Hewitt-Trussville Middle School will be widened. With increased enrollment at the middle school, the entry to the library has become a stop gap that prevents students from making full use of the facility. The larger entry way is expected to solve the problem.
Trussville City Schools recently received a national award from District Administration Magazine.
“We were named a district of distinction by the District Administration Magazine,” said Neill. “It goes hand in hand with our PACE program … We’ve wrapped that into one program that basically has no cost at all. It gives us well-behaved students so teachers can teach. That program takes a step beyond to mentally healthy students. Not only are they well-behaved, they really are ready to learn and they really are happy, and they really do have a nice internal temperature.”
The transportation department had an outstanding bus inspection report with zero deficiencies. Dale Posey, of the transportation department, addressed the board.
“The state allows for 10% deficiency, we do it every year at 0%,” said Posey. “These guys … they get the job done and I appreciate it. This is our really busy time of the year getting the routes rolled and everything … everyone wanting their bus stops address, we’re wide open right now. I appreciate what they do (transportation employees), and they do a great job keeping our kids safe.”
