BY ROB DAVIS
FOR THE OBSERVER
OPELIKA — The Opelika City Schools Board of Education voted unanimously to approve the contract extensions of nine assistant principals and one deputy assistant superintendent during the board’s regular meeting held on June 30.
The names of the educators who were approved for contract extensions include:
- Melanie Bass – Assistant Principal – Southview Primary School
- Amber Fulford – Assistant Principal – Jeter Primary School
- Christopher Austin King – Assistant Principal – Northside Intermediate School
- Jamarlin Shundell Russaw – Assistant Principal – Morris Avenue Intermediate School
- Erica Nicole Williams – Assistant Principal – Carver Primary School
- Andre Davis – Assistant Principal – Opelika Middle School
- Adam Hall – Assistant Principal – Opelika Middle School
- Allison Gregory – Assistant Principal – Opelika High School
- Jonathon Fischer – Assistant Principal – Fox Run School
- J. Russell T. Hardwick – Deputy Assistant Superintendent of Operations
The board also approved several out-of-state field trip requests as well as a second budget amendment for the FY’26 budget.
“You come in early, usually in January, and you do your first amendment,” Opelika City Schools Chief Finance Officer Chris Harrison said. “So when you do your original budget, you’re doing it before you’ve closed out that year. So then you close out the year and you know what your ending balances are. So then that first amendment is for what we know we finished out the year with. Then your second amendment is really just anything that has changed since then. Advancement of Technology was really a big dollar value.”
Harrison explained that Advancement of Technology is an allocation from the state that can be used for deferred maintenance, capital projects, technology, security measures and insurance on buildings. According to Harrison, the dollar amount of the Advancement of Technology allocation was $4.1 million.
Before the meeting was adjourned, there was discussion regarding the construction and renovation of Fox Run School. Phase one of the project was reported to be on schedule which includes a new parking lot. Bailey-Harris Construction Company is handling the renovation and expansion that will include a 70,000-square-foot addition that will make space for 700 more students.
The Opelika City Schools Board of Education usually meets every fourth Tuesday of each month at 4:30 p.m. at the central office on 300 Simmons St.
