ABSS Board of Education Chair Sandy Ellington-Graves gave an update at Monday evening’s Board of Education meeting regarding funding to cover remaining mold remediation costs. This came after the Alamance County Commissioners decided on Monday morning to allow the District to reallocate funds to cover the outstanding invoices.
Ellington-Graves expressed hope to improve relations with the County Commissioners but indicated community support would be needed. “The average age of our buildings is 56 years old. We also have aging HVAC systems. These are county buildings and we need them to support us.”
The County Commissioners took two actions to allocate funds:
Reallocated $5.2 million from leftover Education Bond proceeds to capital reserves.
Allocated $1.2 million from the County Fund Balance to capital reserve project funds.
The Commissioner's decisions on Monday will mean that critical security upgrades will need to be deferred.
Board Chair
The ABSS Board of Education selected Sandy Ellington-Graves once again as its chair. She has served the past two years as chair. I didn’t know what this year was going to bring. I appreciate the confidence you have in me,” she told the Board. Donna Westbooks will serve as vice-chair for the upcoming year.
School Calendar Update
Students and staff at Altamahaw-Ossipee will have to make up a school day after winter break after being closed a day due to water issues on October 13. AO students only will have to attend school on January 23 in order to make up for the lost instructional hours. Staff at AO who missed hours on October 13 will have an opportunity to make up lost time on June 14.
A separate calendar for Altamahaw-Ossipee will be available on the ABSS website soon.
State Salary Supplement
The North Carolina General Assembly has allocated supplemental funds to provide one-time $1,417 salary bonuses for school-based certified teachers and certified instructional support staff. The Board accepted the funding and agreed to include the bonus in the December payroll. To qualify, certified staff must be hired and in their role by November 1st and remain employed through December 15th. According to the state funding model, no individual may receive more than $1,417, and the funds are not to be allowed to be used for Pre-K teacher bonuses. The bonuses will be paid on December 19th after applicable taxes are withheld. Pre-K teachers will still get a bonus through the More at Four funding source.
Star Student and Staff
The District once again honored a top student and staff member as part of its monthly ABSS Star Student/Staff recognition program. 5th grade student Mason Yousef from E.M. Yoder Elementary was named this month’s Star Student. His principal praised Mason for his selfless nature and dedication to the school. The Star Staff Member award was given this month to Heather Roark, a 9-12th-grade Multilingual teacher at Southern Alamance High School. Roark was recognized for her exceptional rapport with students, cultural sensitivity, and unwavering commitment to meeting diverse needs. Both received an ABSS star trophy donated by B&H Trophy of Burlington.
Family Led Organization
The Board received an update on the newly formed Family Led Organization. The group, comprised of families from each of the District’s schools, held its second meeting last Thursday evening with District leadership. This month’s topics included an overview of next year’s calendar and the District’s current funding issues. Participants also discussed ways to advertise PTO/PTA events better to encourage more family and community engagement. The group plans to meet again on January 29 during ABSS Family University at Cummings High School.
Human Resources
Longtime Audrey Garrett Elementary School Principal Habla has been named the new Director of Human Resources. Habla is replacing Dr. Nicole McGhee, who will retire later this month.
Habla started with the District in 2005 as a classroom teacher and has served as both Assistant Principal and Principal since 2008.
Assistant Director of Transportation Justin Smith was named the Director of Transportation following the retirement of Director Corey Davis. Smith is a product of ABSS and has worked in the District since 2006. He has served in various capacities in the Transportation Department over the years working his way through the ranks to become the Assistant Director earlier this year.
Operations
The Board approved a contract of a little over $1.2 million for roof replacement on sections of Graham Middle School and a contract of more than $177,000 for roof design on all sections of Eastern Alamance High School. The funding was approved earlier this month by the Alamance County Commissioners.
