By Wil Crews
sportscrews@
opelikaobserver.com
The Opelika City Schools Board met for its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday night inside the Opelika Center for Performing Arts and approved a $1,000 one-time stipend to pay Pre-K through 6th grade teachers upon completion of the Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) training.
The purpose of the stipend coincides with the importance of the LETRS training which aims to reinforce effective reading and spelling training practices for children at the elementary level.
Opelika City Schools Superintendent, Mark Neighbors, said the training process takes two years to completely finish.
“Of all the training that our folks have gone through for reading preparation and the science of reading this is by far … they say this is the best training,” he said. “Its voluntary. Even our best reading teachers say it really makes them even better.”
Other business:
– The board recognized the individuals on the OHS Boys indoor and outdoor track AHSAA State Championship teams, and the teams as a whole.
– The board recognized individuals from the OHS Girls outdoor track and field team who placed top 3 at the state championships last month.
– The board recognized the OHS winners of the 2021 superintendent’s Art Show.
– The board recognized the 2021 State Superintendent’s Visusal Art award winners.
– The board recognized the 2021 All State Band members.
– The board recognized the 2021 Career Tech award winners.
– The board presented the Opelika High School Perspectives Magazine as an information item.
– The board approved the consideration of personnel recommendations that included the acknowledgement of employment, transfers and retirements for Opelika City Schools.
– The board approved the renewal of contract for Principal of Northside Intermediate School, Cindy Poteet, effective July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2025.
– The board re-elected Kevin Royal as chairman and Antoine T. Harvis as vice-chairman.
– The board discussed a number of non-agenda items including: post-covid high school virtual protocol for the 2021-22 school year, determining that the system will revert to its pre-covid practices in keeping with state law; the hiring process of new teachers to the aide in mending the learning gaps that students may have experienced this past year and a half; the second round of federal SR-2 relief funds and a general idea of how the estimated $5 million funds will be consumed; and the progress of the new elementary school.
The next Opelika school board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 22, 2021.