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The Demopolis Board of Education named Brandi McGee Smith as the new principal of Demopolis Middle School at a called meeting last Friday, April 29. Smith will begin work on July 1, 2022.

Smith is a 2008 graduate of Demopolis High School, and currently serves as the assistant principal at Hayden High School in Blount County. She taught sixth-grade science at Hillcrest Central in Tuscaloosa before becoming an assistant principal.

Larry Perrin with Schneider Electric appeared before the board to answer more questions about lighting and thermostats on school campuses. Perrin said that the company will produce a plan for the project, and present it to the board. If the board agrees with the plan, the cost will be added into the total cost of the project. If the board disagrees, it would have to pay work fees. Perrin said the company is required to guarantee the work for 20 years, regardless of if the school system is able to pay it off before the 20 years are up.

Board members were interested in the offer, but opted to take a vote at the next regular meeting.

The board approved a bid from Power-Up EDU for LU Interactive Playground for U.S. Jones Elementary School. It is a projection on the wall of the gym that can be used for P.E. classes, and can also be used in mathematics. The cost is $32,450 and will be installed for the next school year.

The board approved a service agreement with Alabama Power Lighting to install LED lights in the light poles at all DCS campuses. Superintendent Tony Willis said the switch to LED should pay off costs within four months.

Items approved by the board:

• Approved contract agreement between DCS and William Barley as DHS Art Teacher
• Approved Summer work schedule
• Approved quote from Amplify for Language Arts textbooks (Grades K-3)
• Approved quote from McGraw-Hill for Language Arts textbooks (Grades 4-5)
• Approved quote from McGraw-Hill for Language Arts textbooks (Grades 6-8)
• Approved quote from McGraw-Hill for Language Arts textbooks (Grades 9-12)
• Approved Standards-Based Grading for Kindergarten
• Approved Inventory Dispositions
• Approved DHS JROTC field trip to Columbiana June 3-6

Personnel Report

• Employment: Brandi Smith as Principal at DMS, effective 7/1/22, Carrie Dauphin as Academic Coach – 10 month, effective 7/19/22 (pending procurement of satisfactory documentation and Board approval)
• Transfers/Reassignments: Deborah McAfee from History Teacher to Guidance Counselor (10 month), effective 5/9/22
• Retirement: William Barley. Guidance Counselor – 10 month, retiring effective 7/1/22
• Miscellaneous: Mary Griffin, In-School Suspension Facilitator, requesting FMLA 4/26/22 through 5/27/22