Dale Board of Education members this week employed several new teachers, rehired temporary staff on temporary contract for 2025-2026 school year at a capacity to be determined by administration and accepted the resignation of a teacher.
Following a nearly 40-minute executive session, board members returned to open meeting and employed the following new teachers: Elementary, Emma Edmonson; Secondary, Nick Cooper, Junior High baseball coach and high school teacher; Fletcher Reed, new high school boys basketball coach and high school teacher; Special Education, Jessica Akins and Michelle Lynch.
Temporary staff to be rehired on temporary contract for the 2025-2026 school year at a capacity to be determined by the administration includes: Jimmy Harris, Mandy Jones, Stacia Peterson, Angela Coker, Tabbitha Tannehill, Allison Nichols, Kasey Clark, Gracie Pipes, LaKeta Ille, Ashley Conley, Kelsey Crum, Kayla Dingus, Rachel Karger and Stacy Martin.
The resignation was from Kyleigh Merrick.
During her report, Elementary Principal Tamee Daniel reported 354 students are currently in grades Pre-K through 4th. “We’re 100 percent tested,” she said.
And she announced that a $40,000 K-20 grant had been approved.
Carren Cantrell provided the reports for Middle School Principal Kim Powell and High School Principal Erick Muncy. She said Middle School enrollment is 283 and High School enrollment is 242.
Cantrell announced the Spring Band concert will be at 7 p.m. May 12 at the Shawnee High School Performing Arts Center and high school graduation is 7:30 p.m. May 22 at Firelake Arena.
She also announced that Hilda Finely has been selected as Teacher of the Year and that Tonya Landreth had been chosen Staff Person of the Year.
During his report, School Supt. Will Jones advised board members, “The financial report looks very similar to last year at this time.”
With that, Jones also reviewed financial information showing warrants as of April of 2025 were $5,766,160 compared to $4,848,021 in April of 2024.
The building fund cash balance for April of 2025 was $785,040 compared to $316,00, an increase of $469,040 over April of 2024.
The General Fund cash balance in April of 2025 stood at $2,042,448 and in April of 2024 was $2,076,809 a decline of $34,361.
State Aid as of April 2025 was $3,580,876. As of April of 2024, it stood at $3,518,400.
Jones said County Sales Tax balance for April of 2025 was $349,485 compared to April of 2024 which was $336,215.
April county sales tax revenue was $27,356, Jones reported.
The County Donation Account is $77,460.
Following his report, board members approved the financial report.
In other action, at Jones’ suggestion, board members held off on approving any summer camps yet.
They approved a resolution for schools and libraries Universal services (E-Rate) for 2025-2026. This resolution authorizes the filing of the form 471applications for funding year 2025-2026 and the payment of the applicant’s share upon arrival of funding and receipts of services.