By Haley Mitchell Godwin 

The Crenshaw County Board of Education held its regular meeting Aug. 12 in the Joe R. Sport Administration Building following a reception in honor of Superintendent Dodd Hawthorne. Hawthorne, who recently announced his resignation after accepting a position with the Alabama State Board of Education, has taken on the role of Assistant State Superintendent for Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Workforce Development.

During the meeting, the board considered several personnel recommendations made by Hawthorne. Among the accepted resignations were Kerry Wilson and Molli Wallace, both Special Education Aides at Highland Home School, and Candace Jordan, a teacher at Highland Home School. Additionally, the resignation of an Intervention Teacher at Brantley School was approved, effective May 24.

The board also approved new hires, including Jason Sankey as the In-School Suspension (ISS) Aide at Highland Home School, and Morgan Bledsoe, Erica Norsworthy and Wade Phillips as Special Education Paraprofessionals at the same school. Sara Corbin was appointed as the ACCESS Facilitator at Highland Home.

A recommendation by Hawthorne to pay two supplemental stipends and name lead math and reading instructional coach positions sparked discussion among board members, with Sterling Sasser and Steve Jackson raising concerns about the necessity of these roles. Hawthorne, emphasizing the importance of these positions, invited Beverly Sport to provide further explanation.

“You all are familiar with the Literacy Act that came into full effect last year,” Sport said. “Now we have the Numeracy Act and it is essentially the Literacy Act to the second power. The compliance pieces and reporting requirements placed upon schools by these acts are a job all on their own. These requirements are essentially unfunded mandates by the legislature. However, this request is not just about compliance, but more so about doing what is best for our children. 

“When you look at numbers on paper, we helped our kids progress in ways that really should not have been possible, but it was because of the people we have in the buildings and the great jobs they do. These two ladies will be game changers, they are difference makers that know how to lead and make visible progress, and they are much, much needed.”

A vote on the supplemental positions ended in a tie, as board member Steve Hermeling was not present. The issue will be revisited at the next board meeting.

The board is working to appoint an interim superintendent while searching for the right candidate to replace Hawthorne. No further information on the status of those efforts is available as the search continues.

In other business, the board approved a quote from James K. Mullins to sand and refinish floors at the old gym at Brantley School. The gym, which is being repurposed into the school’s official auditorium, has already seen the removal of basketball goals, and a grant has been received to purchase and install a new stage curtain.

The board also approved a bid from Greenville Glass to replace classroom doors at Highland Home School.

The first budget hearing for the 2024-2025 school year is scheduled for Thursday, September 12, at 5:30 p.m., followed by a second hearing on Monday, September 16, at 5:00 p.m., just before the next regular board meeting at 5:30 p.m.