County School Board remembers Jimmy McCain

Randolph County School Board held a reverent, somber meeting last week. The board was meeting for the first time since the death of District 6 Board Member Jimmy McCain. McCain passed away early last week. The meeting room was arranged as it normally is with an 8×10 color picture in a frame displayed at McCain’s seat. The meeting was opened with a moment of silence in memory of McCain and a comforting prayer by board member Raymond Hare. Superintendent John Jacobs said McCain had been a friend for many years back to the days of the board of education being in the courthouse.

“I know he will be greatly missed on this board and by me personally,” Jacobs said.

Concerning a replacement, Jacobs said he had contacted Alabama Association of School Boards about the process we have to go through to replace McCain.

“They told me we had 30 days but I think we will have enough time to go to a regular board meeting. We have several different ways we can go through the process,” Jacobs said. “We can agree on someone and appoint them or we can ask for letters of interest from the public and we can hold interviews. My idea is to ask you (the board) to come up with some people from his district that might be someone that had experience in education or own a business. The main question is will someone be appointed to fill his remaining term from the old district or from the new district that was approved a few months back? The state has not given me that answer. The district line has gone further north and further west because of the population of thy the lake area.”

Jacobs went on to say he would take nominees from the board and discuss it at the next board meeting.

“I hate to have to do this, and it’s sad to have to do it, but it’s something the board has had to do a couple of times since I have been in the central office,” he said.

Board Chairman Tamara Taylor said, “I would like to see the letters of interest because if someone takes the time to write a letter it shows us you have the interest. We need to be sure of the person we pick. I don’t know many people in the district so we have to go by recommendations.”

Jacobs responded he would post the vacancy on Facebook and ask for letters of interest and if he received a recommendation he would contact the person and have them write a letter.

In personnel actions, the board approved:

• Deborah Jackson, Jessica Austin and Kanechia Zachery as substitute teachers and Zachery as substitute support personnel.
• The resignation, due to retirement, of Marilyn Ward, media specialist at Woodland High School effective June 1, 2023.
• The resignation, due to retirement, of Kristi K. Triplett effective June 1, 2023.
• The resignation, due to retirement, of Marla Arrington effective June 1, 2023.
• The resignation, due to retirement, of Amy Kelly Nixon, ALC teacher, effective June 1, 2023. Pending retirement approval with RSA.
• The resignation of Julie Vingers Hunt, teacher at Rock Mills Jr. High School effective at the end of the 2022-2023 school year.
• The resignation of David Clay, principal at Wadley High School, effective June 30, 2023.
• The resignation of Liz Craft, custodian at Wedowee Middle School, effective May 26, 2023.
• The resignation of Gary Boyd, bus driver, effective May 25, 2023.
• The resignation of Vanieca Akins, lunchroom worker at Rock Mills, effective at the end of the 2022-2023 school year.
• The resignation of Deborah Gabriel, Title I aide at Wedowee Elementary, effective at the end of the 2022-2023 school year.

Superintendent John Jacobs told the board the county was losing some good ones and they would be hard to replace.

Other business

In other business, the board approved for approximately 46 Woodland Kindergartners to Pine Mountain, GA for Pine Mountain Safari on April 28, 2023; paid for by Student Funding.)

Met in Executive session to discuss a possible ethics violation. No vote or discussion took place after the session.