by Maya Quinn, editor

On Thursday, May 21st, the Greene County Board of Education met in a regular session to close out the school year and discuss summer plans. Following the superintendent’s positive remarks on the 2025-2026 school year, Federal Programs Coordinator and Truancy Officer Dr. Charlayne Jordan-Riley, along with Technology & Textbook and School Safety Coordinator Rebecca Coleman, took the floor to present the Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) Grant Project sponsored by the USDA Rural Utilities Service (RUS).

Dr. Riley has overseen the strategic use of Federal Funds in the Greene County School System (GCS) for 10 years, providing information on Title I programs, the largest federal contribution to K-12 education, to improve learning environments across GCS. Ms. Coleman has served GCS for over 20 years, the most recent five as technology coordinator. Their collaboration on this grant project aims to decrease chronic absenteeism and improve academic achievement throughout GCS by implementing in-school telemedicine, providing technology-enabled professional development spaces, and equipping learning spaces for dual enrollment. Desired outcomes for the project include an increase in academic achievement by 10%, a reduction in chronic absenteeism by 10%, and an increase in student dual enrollment by 10%.

The total funding request for a professional development space, interactive teacher training, health support services, and digital instructional tools is $852,499.00. If accepted, the district match (the money the district is responsible for contributing) is 15% of the requested funds, $111,195.52. The grant submission is due on June 30th, with an orientation date in August, pending acceptance. The proposal was well received by the board, with the Superintendent stating that this will “take away excuses to not be in school. Chronic absenteeism is a big part of our state report card. We get dinged for it every year.”

All recommendations by the Superintendent were approved. Here they are as follows:

1. Paid Parental Leave Policy 
2. 4-Day Work Week Summer Schedule
3. Contractual agreement with Denise Horton to provide Instructional and behavioral support services to students for FY 2026-2027
4. Agreement with Kim Herren to provide developmental delay services for pre-school children during the 2026-2027 school year 
5. Agreement with Quitt Consulting to provide speech-language therapy services for children in Greene County for the 2026-2027 school year
6. Agreement for Tammy W. Lewis, MSCCC-SLP to provide speech services for the 2026-2027 school year
7. Agreement with Behavioral Solutions of Mississippi for Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Consultative Services and Functional Behavioral Assessments/Behavioral Intervention Plans for students displaying behavioral issues for the 2026-2027 school year
8. Agreement with West Alabama Therapy, LLC to provide physical and occupational therapy to IDEA-eligible students for the 2026-2027 school year
9. Agreement with H&H Educational Services, LLC to provide psychometric services for the 2026-2027 school year
10. Agreement with Demisha Stough to provide gifted services for the 2026-2027 school year
11. Contract with Laura Stoppelbein, LLC to provide diagnostic evaluations to assist in the identification of students suspected of having autism for the 2026-2027 school year
12. Contract with Alicia Hodge-Scott to provide special education services for the district on an as-needed basis for the 2026-2027 school year
13. Greene County High School Credit Recovery Plan 2026
14. Hiring of four Greene County students for summer employment to assist the maintenance department for June 2026 at a rate of $10.00 per hour, working 20 hours per week
15. Payment of all bills, claims, and payroll
16. Bank reconciliations as submitted by Mrs. Marquita Lennon, CSFO  

The board approved the following personnel action items:

Resignation

• Cherry, Tina EPS Custodian

Employment

• Miller, Aaliyah EPS 2nd Grade Teacher (New)
• Payne, Kendra RBMS ELA 6th (New)
• Smith, Jennifer RBMS Math 6th (New)
• Esquire, Preyjorntez EPS First Grade Teacher (New)
• Thomas, Kalya EPS Long-term Sub
• Tyree, Akeem RBMS Soc. Studies Teacher 7-8 (New)

Retirement

• Robinson, Dorris RMBS PE Teacher

 

Employment – Summer Learning/Summer School ($50 per hour)

Teachers, Para-Professionals – $25 per hour

Nurses – $50.00 per hour

Bus Drivers – $100 a day:

• Coats, Eddie, Summer Driver
• Russell, Carla, Summer Driver
• Grays, Jerdin, Summer Driver
• Crawford, Ayanna, Summer Driver
• Pippen, George, Summer Driver
• Holloway, Gerald, Summer Driver
• Lewis, Natasha, Summer Driver
• Lucious, Stanley, Summer Driver
• Steele, Marcus, Alt. Summer Driver
• Williams, Veronica, Alt. Summer Driver
• Gaines, James, Alt. Summer Driver
• Hill, Teresa, Alt. Summer Driver
• Pelt, Johnny, Alt. Summer Driver
• Jackson, Arlean, Bus Aide (Summer)
• Davis, Linda, CNP Summer Cook
• Hill, Mary, CNP Summer Cook
• Henderson, Loria, CNP Summer Manager
• Horton, Frances, CNP Summer Manager (Sub)
• Taylor, Deborah, CNP Summer Manager
• Williams, Shirleria, CNP Summer Cook
• Wilson, Sandy, CNP Summer Manager
• Hill, Angela, EPS Summer Teacher
• Taylor, Walter, EPS Summer Teacher
• Williams, Keisha, EPS Summer Teacher
• Henley, LaShaun, EPS Summer Teacher
• Smith, Charlease, EPS Summer Teacher
• Daniels, Carolyn, EPS Summer Teacher
• Hobson, Mary, EPS Aide (Summer)
• Clayton, Erica, EPS Aide (Summer)
• Williams, Akia, RMBS Summer Teacher
• Bryant, Vanessa, RMBS Summer Teacher
• Cyrus, Naomi, RMBS Summer Teacher
• Smith, Felicia, RMBS Summer Teacher
• Bryant, Raven, RMBS Summer Teacher
• Childs, Dorothea, RMBS Aide (Summer)
• Edwards, Tura, GCHS Summer Teacher
• Jones, Dutchess, GCHS Summer Teacher
• Harkness, Angela, GCHS Summer Teacher
• Reynolds, Clifford, GCHS Summer Teacher
• Askew, Janice, GCHS Summer Teacher
• Porter, Tameshia, GCHS Summer Teacher
• Morton, Drenda, GCHS Aide (Summer)
• Edwards, Jacqueline, GCHS Summer Custodian
• Collins, Shalanda, District Summer Nurse
• Lawrence, Brenda, District Summer Nurse (Sub)
• Carpenter, Elston, EPS SRO
• Walker, Lededrian, RMBS SRO
• Carpenter, Sidney, GCHS SRO
• Davis, Steven, District SRO (Sub)

Non-renewal

• Taylor, Zarquashia, GCCC Health Science

ACAP Supplemental Reading Assessment Stipend

• Knott, Marilyn, EPS Counselor

Voluntary Transfer

• Ruffin, Denetria, EPS From Elem Teacher to PE Teacher
• Campbell, Robin, RBMS From Kindergarten to ELA 7-8
• Perry, Andrea, RBMS Principal