School board holds special called meeting
Published 8:43 pm Thursday, August 1, 2024
- The Crenshaw County Board of Education convenes for a special called meeting early Tuesday morning to address key personnel changes and discuss a paving project at the central office. Board members pictured are (from left to right) Superintendent of Crenshaw County Schools Dodd Hawthorne, Annie Zeigler, Sterling Sasser, Steve Jackson, Steve Hermeling and Sheri Claybrook.
By Haley Mitchell Godwin
The Crenshaw County Board of Education convened for a special called meeting early Tuesday morning. The purpose of the meeting was to address personnel changes, including three resignations and several new hires, and to discuss a paving project at the central office.
Superintendent Dodd Hawthorne expressed enthusiasm about the new hires.
“We are excited about our new employees and I feel confident they will make a difference in the lives of the students of Crenshaw County Schools,” said Hawthorne.
At the July 30 meeting, the board accepted the resignations of three educators: Amy Womble, business teacher at Highland Home High School (HHS); Derri Andress, English teacher at Luverne High School (LHS) and Xavius Burden, ACCESS Facilitator at HHS.
Several new hires were approved during the meeting. Jackson Joyner was appointed as a special education paraprofessional at Brantley. Crystal Jenson will join the district as a bus driver for Luverne. Highland Home High School welcomed two new secondary business teachers, Alainna Del Rosario and Bailey Kilpatrick, along with Molli Wallace as a special education paraprofessional.
“Each individual brings a unique set of skills, experiences, and perspectives that will undoubtedly enrich the school system,” Hawthorne said.
Additionally, Heather Denardo was hired as a secondary English teacher at Luverne High School.
The board approved a $75,750 bid from Lewis Incorporated for a paving project at the central office. Kenneth Wesley, Chief School Finance Officer, emphasized the importance of this long-needed project.
“We are in a good financial position and this project has been needing to be done for a long time now,” Wesley said. “The school system is in a good spot financially and we are looking forward to a great school year.”
The board has yet to appoint an interim superintendent, after accepting the resignation of Dodd Hawthorne, who transitions to a new role as the Assistant State Superintendent for Career and Technical Education (CTE) with the Alabama Department of Education.
