By Hannah Curran, Editor
TRUSSVILLE — The Trussville City Schools (TCS) Board of Education (BOE) approved the extension of Dr. Patti Neill’s contact.
TCS BOE met on Thursday, April 28, for their monthly meeting. (Photo by Hannah Curran)
Neill had two years on her contract, and those two years extended to 2024, but the board approved at the board meeting Thursday, April 28, to extend her contact to 2026.
“Based on evaluations, positive evaluations, your complete body of work since you’ve been here, your leadership during COVID, tax renewal, the trajectory of our athletic academies and fine arts are just wow,” Board President Kathy Brown said. “We’re on a great trajectory. I would like to recommend to give Dr. Neill a two-year extension through 2026. Dr. Neal is very public about not taking a pay raise unless the rest of her employees get one. I think that’s very commendable. I think she would be the first to say it accolades to her whole staff that as we all know somebody has to steer the ship. We’re very thankful for that, and we’re looking forward to a lot of projects down the road. I look forward to your leadership with the board through 2026.”
Board Vice President Dr. Steve Ward commended Neill on her leadership.
“I’ve never seen a superintendent that provides leadership like Dr. Neill does and especially during this upheaval in education that we’re facing today we are wise to build that stability and that’s what she does,” Ward said. “We look forward to working with you for four more years.”
Boardmember Kim DeShazo explained that Neill has helped build a school system that employs lasting teachers.
“We’re certainly here for the students and about students, but we also have to remember there are teachers who work here,” DeShazo said. “They have to respect the leadership that is put before them, and I think the fact that they’re staying is a great testament to Dr. Neill’s leadership, and the team she has assembled together. I’m excited about where we’re going.”
Boardmember Sherrye Tolbert also shared high remarks about Neill.
“I just want to say thank you, to Dr. Neill, for your leadership, and guidance,” Tolbert said. “The support that you give your administrators, your teachers and the students here in Trussville City Schools, and that you listen to your teachers, and you give them the support and the resources they need to be successful.”
Neill thanked her administrators for extending her contract to 2026.
“I want to say thank you to my great team of administrators, and all the employees, the city for their support, and it’s an honor to have our first board meeting and other building and to have this subject come up,” Neill said. “So it really is special to do this contract extension on the first board meeting in the new building.”
In other matters, the board congratulated David Dobbs for being inducted into the Alabama High School Hall of Fame on March 21, 2022
The Board also approved:
- Approve Accounts Payable for: March 2022;
- Approve Payroll for: March 2022;
- Approve Financials: March 2022;
- Approve Work Session Record and Board Minutes for March 14, 2022;
- Approve the 2022-23 Hewitt-Trussville High School Fee/Contribution sheet and;
- the 2022-23 Hewitt-Trussville Middle School Fee/Contribution sheet;
- Approve administrative authority for Dr. Pattie Neill to ensure personnel is in place for the 2022-23 school year;
- Approve the following Facility Usage Agreements:
- HTHS Theater Dept sponsoring Dance Recital May 6-7, 2022;
- Approve Flag Football Games for Multi-Purpose Field April 19-May 16, 2022;
- Trussville FireFighter Training at Husky Stadium April 11-13, 2022;
- Elite Passing Camp (football) June 20-22, 2022 at HT Stadium;
- Youth Football Camp July 25-27, 2022 at HT Stadium;
- YMCA Association Summer Camp Counselor Training May 14, 2022, at Paine (ASC areas);
- TCSAF and Band Foundation for Fireworks on Practice Field;
- Approve one-year site license for TypingClub for elementary schools;
- Approve EDF04-28-22-01 through 04-28-22-09;
- Approve the following field trips:
- HTHS Wrestling to Jeff Jordan State Champ Camp in Ohio;
- HTMS Dance to Auburn University;
- HTHS Auxiliary to Mentone, AL;
- Approve Student 04-28-22-01 for Early Graduation;
- Approve Set the Stage Rental Agreement for HTHS Theater;
- Approve entire State-Adopted Textbook List for ELA and Career Tech;
- Approve Textbook Funds Recommendation for LA and Career Technical;
- Education and to adopt entire list of state-adopted comprehensive and supplemental materials;
- Approve Mystery Science District Member quote for the 2022-23 school year;
- Approve Palo Alto Conversion NextGen Firewall, via CDW-G;
- Approve Alabama Supercomputer Authority Agreement for services;
- Approve the following facility bids:
- Bid 22-07 TCS Central Office Cleaning;
- Renew Bid 21-03 Pest Management;
- Renew Bid 19-06 Cleaning for ALC;
- Approve 3rd Amendment to Superintendent Contract (extension of time only); and
- Approval of superintendents recommendations regarding changes in personnel, contracts, extra services, and supplements.
The May monthly board meeting will be Monday, May 23, at 6:00 p.m. in the Board Room of the Central Office. There will be a work session held at 5:00 p.m. before the board meeting. The board meeting and the work session will be live-streamed. A link will be posted on the TCS website at 4:45 p.m. on Monday, May 23.
