With all of the fears surrounding education layoffs and budget cuts, the Crenshaw County School System will only see the loss of two teacher units (positions) and one instructional aide for the next school year, and this was due to decreased enrollment, Schools Superintendent Kathi Wallace said.

“We will use our federal funds along with our federal stimulus money to keep us pretty much where we were this fiscal year,” Wallace said. “If all things had been the same, we would have lost the same two teacher units overall due to enrollment numbers.”

At last Thursday’s Board meeting, the following personnel actions were approved:

u Placed all three principals on a 3-year contract (Chuck Alford at LHS, Ashley Catrett at BHS, and Joseph Eiland at HHS);

u Granted the loan of Rhonda Ayers to SDE for a 2nd year;

u Accepted Intent to Retire from Ruthel Pickett at the end of the first semester next school year;

u Accepted resignations from Jennifer Snell, K4 teacher at LHS, David West, assistant principal at Brantley, and Bradley Bowers, history teacher at HHS;

u Approved tenure/continuing employment status for Josh Cockrell, Greg Evans, Nathan Lowe, Shelley Messick, Connie Jacobs, Jill King, Arnetta Harris, Beverly Horne, Crystal Alsbrooks, Holley Lester, Melissa McDougald, Andrea Smith, Les Sanders, and Shirley Neal;

u Non-renewed 10 teachers and 1 instructional aide;

u Transferred Jama Walker from one instructional aide position to another;

u Hired Pam Cook and Janice Christian (both CNP); Donna Horne (bookkeeper); and Dot Youngblood (reading coach).

“Only two of the non-renewals will not be replaced due to the loss of teaching units,” Wallace said.

Also approved at last Thursday’s meeting was the closing of one K4 class at Brantley School.

“The K4 was closed at Brantley, which lost one teacher and one instructional aide, but BHS gained enrollment and has earned another teacher unit,” Wallace explained.

“We always try to hire based on state earned units. By doing this, we don’t have the massive layoffs that other systems are reporting,” she said.