Tallapoosa County Board of Education moves ahead with capital plan financing

The board will approve warrants and the closing documents signed for refinancing on the bond loans on the Reeltown and Horseshoe Bend projects at 10 a.m. Dec. 23.

Superintendent Joe Windle updated the board on opening the bids last Wednesday on the Dadeville gym and field house. Whatley Construction Company of Opelika was the lowest bidder at $7,425,000.

“I decided to wait on a recommendation because that was about $1 or $2 million above our initial projection and we’re look at some ways to cut some of that off,” Windle said. “We’re going to wait until we open the bids on Dadeville Elementary School so we can get a feel for both of these projects, the total combined, before I make a recommendation to the board.”

Windle expects to make a recommendation in January. 

The school board also went into a 23-minute executive session over out-of-district placement. At last month’s meeting, parent Christie Magera said her children, who are from Uganda, attend Horseshoe Bend while living in Alexander City with her family.

Magera’s husband is currently in Uganda working for a political party and doesn’t want to switch her daughter who’s in ninth grade to Alexander City Schools.

On Monday, Windle recommended the board allows the children to stay in Horseshoe Bend until the end of the year. Board member Betty Carol Graham asked if it would be possible to keep the ninth-grader there for the year but place the other four children in Alexander City Schools after the semester is over.

“I don’t think we would be splitting that family,” Graham said. “I’ve been contacted by numerous people about the situation. I would like to see us help the ninth-grader; that’s not the child’s fault. Probably none of it’s the children’s fault but I would like to see us correctly place the other four at the end of the semester.”

After returning from executive session, the board unanimously approved keeping the students at Horseshoe Bend for the remainder of the school year and will review the family’s case at the end of the school year. Windle said he will send a letter to the family to let them know the children can stay, but they must establish and verify their residency or the school where they reside.

Windle expects to make a recommendation in January. 

At last month’s meeting, parent Christie Magera said her children, who are from Uganda, attend Horseshoe Bend while living in Alexander City with her family.

Magera’s husband is currently in Uganda working for a political party and doesn’t want to switch her daughter who’s in ninth grade to Alexander City Schools.

On Monday, Windle recommended the board allows the children to stay in Horseshoe Bend until the end of the year. Board member Betty Carol Graham asked if it would be possible to keep the ninth-grader there for the year but place the other four children in Alexander City Schools after the semester is over.

“I don’t think we would be splitting that family,” Graham said. “I’ve been contacted by numerous people about the situation. I would like to see us help the ninth-grader; that’s not the child’s fault. Probably none of it’s the children’s fault but I would like to see us correctly place the other four at the end of the semester.”

The school board then went into a 23-minute executive session to discussion good name and character.

After returning from executive session, the board unanimously approved keeping the students at Horseshoe Bend for the remainder of the school year and will review the family’s case at the end of the school year. Windle said he will send a letter to the family to let them know the children can stay, but they must establish and verify their residency or the school where they reside.

In other action, the school board:

• Approved an overnight field trip for Dadeville High School’s junior Beta club

• Approved the new student harassment prevention policy

• Went into a 43-minute executive session to hold two expulsion hearings. Two Reeltown High School students were expelled indefinitely. 

• Approved retirement

• Held a moment of silence for Edward Bell teacher and basketball coach P.R. Caldwell, who died Sunday.

“He did so much for kids who may have struggled in life from an economic standpoint,” Windle said. “He did remarkable work with them.”

• Approved Dadeville Dixie Youth representative and coach Marcell Burns to use the Dadeville Elementary and Councill Middle School gyms for practices. 

• Heard from Windle about the Dadeville High School football coach search because Richard White is retiring. He said he closed the job’s posting and it had more than 50 applicants, which he narrowed down to 15 or 16. A screening committee, made up of White, Chad McKelvey, Fred Ford, Phillip Baker, Scotty Fortenberry and Courtney Heard, will narrow the candidates down to three to five people next week and interview them the week of Jan. 13. A recommendation will be ready by February.

“This is a critical hire because we want someone who is going to build character, use athletics to build character in these kids and who’s going to motivate this community to get involved in the total athletic program at Dadeville High School,” Windle said. “Because the more families, the more community we can have engaged in these activities, the better it’s going to be.”