BY ANITA STIEFEL
ANITAS@
OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM
AUBURN — At its regularly scheduled meeting on April 9, the Auburn City Schools (ACS) Board of Education recognized student art competition winners and the system’s 2023-24 Teachers of the Year.
The board congratulated Shiloh Lora, a seventh grader at East Samford School, won the Middle School Division of the statewide Youth Art Month flag design contest. This year, the Alabama Art Education Association’s theme is “Dream in Art,” and with her design, Shiloh will be recognized at the AAEA state conference in October. Her flag was designed under the tutelage of East Samford art teacher Tricia Oliver.
Twenty pieces of art by ACS students were sent to the 2024 Superintendent’s Visual Arts Exhibit, a statewide competition that has approximately 800 submissions annually from more than 40 school systems.
Shiloh and two other Auburn students were also honored at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival in Montgomery on March 13. Shiloh placed second in the 7-8 grade division with a piece titled “Apples in the Afternoon.” Cedar Linhoss, a third grader at Ogletree Elementary School, earned third place in the 3-4 grade division with her entry, “Crazy Picasso Chicken.” Eli Kiser, a fifth grader at Pick Elementary School, won Best of Show in the elementary level with his piece entitled, “Washing Waves.”
The board recognized the Teachers of the Year from each of the city’s 14 schools. The ACS Elementary Teacher of the Year is Deana Hooks from Pick Elementary, who has also been named as a “Sweet 16” finalist in the Alabama State Department of Education’s statewide contest. ACS’s Secondary Teacher of the Year is Greg Sanders from Auburn High School.
Other Teachers of the Year are: Bob Cloud, East Samford; Laura Corder, Wrights Mill Road Elementary; Mykia Duncan, Richland Elementary; Tammy Flanagan, Drake Middle; Katharine Martin, Auburn Junior High; Allison Murfee, Dean Road Elementary; Adriane Smith, Woodland Pines Elementary; Traci Stewart, Ogletree Elementary; Laura Rubin, Yarbrough Elementary; Lindy Tapley, Creekside Elementary; and Autumn Young of the Auburn Early Education Center.
In other action, the board voted unanimously to accept the low bid of $2.35 million from Hellas Construction to refurbish turf on the field and track at the high school.
The board received a clear audit report for fiscal year 2023 from Melissa Motley of Machen McChesney accounting firm, who said the city schools experienced “another good year.”
In other action, the board approved personnel recommendations and appointed the nominating committee for 2024-2025 officers.
Upcoming events were announced, including the Career and Technical Education Awards on Tuesday, April 30, at 6 p.m. at the Auburn High School Performing Arts Center and AHS graduation on Thursday, May 23, at 7 p.m. at Duck Samford Stadium.
On May 14, the board will hold its Annual Meeting at 6 p.m. at Auburn Junior High School’s multi-media room, preceded by a retiree recognition ceremony at 5:15 p.m.