By Hannah Curran, Editor
TRUSSVILLE — The Trussville City Schools (TCS) Board of Education (BOE) recognized several student-athletes and scholars. TCS principals presented their end-of-year reports at the meeting on Monday, May 23.
The TCS principals all shared similar opinions on the year and how the schools overcame every challenge thrown at them.
“It’s been a roller coaster,” Hewitt-Trussville Middle School (HTMS) Principal Jennifer Abney said. “That’s really the only way I can describe the high and lows, it was fast, and lots of twists, turns, and unexpected things kind of came up.”
Abney said HTMS stayed focused and stayed the course with academics trying to make this year as normal as possible.
“I’m really proud of our students, they were very eager to have some normalcy, and I think they were craving social interaction,” Abney said. “Anytime there was an opportunity to be social with their peers, they were, and that was really cool to see especially culminating this past Friday with our Spring Fling in school; it was the best day I had with kids in three years.”
Abney explained that the enrollment went from 1,117 to 1,147, with the upcoming class into sixth grade having 386 students.
“Growth continues to happen at HTMS and all of our schools,” Abney said. “On a positive note, we have seven empty classrooms, so we definitely have room to accommodate this growth.”
Hewitt-Trussville High School Principal Tim Salem also commented on the transition back to normalcy with the students having more opportunities to get back to social interactions. HTHS students and staff were able to experience prom, theatre, award days, teacher appreciation week, clubs, and so much more.
“It’s been refreshing this year to see all that,” Salem said.
Salem explained that the school year started with 1,552 students and ended with 1,595 students.
Cahaba Elementary School (CES) Principal, Joy Tyner, spoke on how empowering this year was to see the students overcome the different challenges.
“When we started to write down this year, it was rather empowering to realize what we would have done,” Tyner said.
Tyner explained that CES had its highest enrollment in 2019, and then when the pandemic hit, enrollment “backed off.”
“We had 535ish around 2019, and we’re back to 525 now,” Tyner said. “I think that we will probably have our highest enrollment next coming year.”
Cahaba has six empty classrooms at CES, and Tyner said they have plenty of space for growth.
Magnolia Elementary School (MES) Principal, Dr. Phyllis Faust, said MES is ending the school year with 365 students sending 59 to middle school.
Faust explained she is most proud of the attendance at MES because that means that students want to come to school. She also commented on having parents back in the schools.
“It has been a joy to see all of our parents come in, whether it be for lunch, any of our assemblies, or choir performances, and it just seemed a lot better, and everyone seemed to enjoy it,” Faust said.
Paine Elementary School (PES) Principal, Dr. Lisa Lothspeich, said that PES is optimistic about next year as they reflect on the challenges from the past two years.
“We started the year off with a new mission statement for PES, and it was students acquire a learning foundation where potential is realized while igniting the desire to make a difference,” Lothspeich said. “We really focused on that this year.”
Lothspeich explained that PES had challenges they focused on this year.
“One was the effect of the pandemic that it had on our kids,” Lothspeich said. “We started the year out with the mask and the social distancing. We’re still doing that, and we’ve evolved to where it feels more normal now.”
PES has a current enrollment of 1,328 students, with 27 of those being preschool students.
Neill mentioned after hearing the end of the year reports that TCS continues to plan for a fourth elementary school and hopes to find an area on the northern side of Trussville to help alleviate some of the overcrowding at PES.
“I presented last month to this board the math, and we did the math again tonight, and all the growth is in the northern end of Trussville,” Neill said. “So we left the meeting with the need for a fourth elementary school on the northernmost side of Trussville, hopefully north of Paine, and just keep the traffic up there.”
Neill said she was asked if the board had “looked at or considered for land outside of the Glendale Farms Project.”
“The answer was, we hadn’t had any other offers, or the mayor hasn’t had any other offers,” Neill said. “So it’s impossible to consider something’s not even on the table. But I think it’s natural to consider what does come to the table. So that’s, that’s what we were looking at.”
Related Story: TCS discusses potential fourth elementary school
The board also congratulated several student-athletes and scholars at the monthly meeting.
They congratulated the HTMS Metro South Champion Boys Track Team (Head Coach – Logan Cornutt and Assistant Coaches – Melissa Brooks, Reese Guthrie, and Katelyn Winge), Cornutt was also named conference Coach of the Year for Boys Track. The board also congratulated HTHS freshman student-athlete Molly Davidson AHSAA 7A Girls Gold Individual State Champion. The HTHS Girls Softball Team was also present at the meeting and was congratulated on being State Runner Up in AHSAA 7A.
The board congratulated the HTHS Scholars Bowl Team, coached by Josh Haynes, on an outstanding season (63-39) Overall Record and (34-11) Overall Record for the Varsity Team. The board also congratulated HTHS Scholars Bowl Katherine Spusta on her achievement throughout the year. The HTHS Varsity team qualified for the 2022 NAQT National Championship in Atlanta, Georgia.
Related Story: HTHS Scholars Bowl prepares for National Academic Quiz Tournament
The board also elected board officers during the meeting. Kathy Brown was re-elected as board president, and Kim DeShazo was elected as board vice president. The board also presented Dr. Steve Ward with a certificate of affirmation of a school board member for five more years.
“It’s very exciting to have Kathy Brown return as president, I think stability is important, and that will bring an element of stability,” Neill said. “Dr. Ward is here for five more years. He’s affirmed, officially tonight, and that’s an element of stability. Kim DeShazo is new to the officers. So she’s rising in her leadership ability as a board member, and she’s a wonderful board member. I know she’ll be a wonderful vice president. I’m very proud of this board.”
In other matters, the board approved:
- Approve Accounts Payable for April 2022;
- Approve Payroll for April 2022;
- Approve Financials: April 2022;
- Approve Work Session Record and Board Minutes for April 14, 2022, and Work Session Record and Board Minutes for April 28, 2022;
- Approve a Community Grant with the Jefferson County Commission for $5000.00 for Leadership HT at Hewitt-Trussville High School;
- Approve job description and salary schedule for School Psychologist and approve amended job description for School Psychometrist;
- Approve the following field trips:
- HTHS Football to Foley, AL;
- HTHS Football to Phenix City, AL;
- HTHS Football to Atlanta, GA;
- HTHS Cheer to UCA Camp – Edewater, FL;
- HTHS Cross Country to Brevard College, Brevard, N.C.;
- HTHS Cross Country to Sam Smith Park, Cartersville, GA;
- HTHS Cross Country to Oakville Indian Mounds;
- HTHS Baseball to 4 Points Sheraton Huntsville;
- HTH Leadership Retreat to Shocco Springs Conference Center;
- HTHS Volleyball to Phoenix West 2 in Orange Beach;
- Approve Facility Bids for the following:
- Bid 22-03 Trussville City Schools Locker Service;
- Bid 22-04 TCS Stadium and Sports Complex Turf, Tree, and Shrub Chemical Application;
- Bid 22-05 CES Turf Tree and Shrub Chemical Application;
- Bid 22-06 Trussville Stadium and Sports Complex Lawn and Ground Care;
- Bid 22-08 TCS Annual Summer Floor Strip and Wax;
- Approve quote to replace the reach-in freezer in the HTHS Culinary Room;
- Approve copier contract for main copier at central office;
- Approve HTHS Band Camp Fee;
- Approve Samford Affiliation Agreement for Education Endeavors for placements for oversations and/or student teaching assignments;
- Approve Under $50,000 project for flooring for the multipurpose room(s) at Paine Elementary School;
- Approve EDF 05-23-22-01 through 05-23-22-06;
- Approve UWA Teacher Connect Scholarship Program;
- Approve Textbook Disposal of all textbooks not part of a current adoption cycle and declare them as surplus property;
- Approve STEMscopes Science Online Gap Year Renewal for the 2022-23 school year;
- Approve purchase of sixteen 10-S Heavy Duty Aluminum benches for the tennis courts;
- Approve the following change orders for the Tennis Court project:
- Change Order for remove existing light pole feeders, reroute light pole raceways on to below new grade;
- Change Order #3 to replace and relocate existing water main per RFI#10;
- COR 11 – addition of moisture mitigation for epoxy flooring (tennis courts);
- Approve modification to Lathan Architects Contract to add Severable Payments portion of construction contract;
- Approve the follow Exceptional Education Contract Services for Extended School;
- Year (ESY) 2022 and the 2022-23 school year:
- Blind Independence;
- Bridgeway Services LLC;
- Child’s Play Therapy Center, LLC;
- DH READ;
- Kristen Sims, M.Ed. NOMC;
- Milestones Behavior Group, INC.;
- Misty Powell, PT;
- Angela Jones PTA;
- Approve Under $50,000 Project to repair the roofing at Cahaba Elementary School and Cahaba Elementary Roof repair for repair in the amount of to be reimbursed by the insurance company;
- Approve Renaissance Learning agreement for the 2022-23 school year for Cahaba, Magnolia, and Paine Elementary Schools (Accelerated Reader);
- Approve the following Use of Facilities Agreements:
- HTHS 4-6 Grade Volleyball Camp for Bryank Bank Arena June 13-15, 2022;
- HTH 1-3 Grade Volleyball Camp for Bryant Bank Arena June 6-8, 2022 Hewitt-Trussville Husky;
- Basketball Camp – June Skill Sessions Sundays in June for Bryant Bank Arena and/or PE Gym (June 5, 12, 19, 26, of 2022);
- Hewitt-Trussville High School Husky Basketball Camp – July 3 day camp July 11-13, 2022, for Bryant Bank Arena;
- 2022 Husky Baseball Camp June 6-9, 2022, for HTH Baseball Field;
- HTHS Huskies Youth Summer Wrestling Camp for HTHS Wrestling Room May 31 – June 3, 2022;
- HTHS Soccer Camp for HTHS Soccer Game Field June 13-16, 2022;
- Youth Football Camp benefiting the Troy Ellis Foundation June 13, 2022, for stadium;
- Approve technology agreements for:
- Microsoft EES Volume License – Via CDW-G;
- CBT Nuggets;
- Kami App;
- Approve termination of services of Bid 20-03 due to lack of performance;
- Personnel; and
- Approval of superintendents recommendations regarding changes in personnel, contracts, extra services, and supplements;
- Place the 2022-23 TCS Salary Schedule on the Table for a first reading.
The June Monthly Board Meeting will be Tuesday, June 28, at 5:00 p.m. in the Central Office’s Board Room. The Board Meeting will be live-streamed. In addition, a link will be posted on the TCS website at 4:45 p.m. on Tuesday, June 28.
The BOE will participate in a Board Retreat Tuesday, June 28, from 12 p.m. until 5 p.m.