By Maya Quinn, managing editor

The Greene County Board of Education met on Monday, June 15th, for a regular session. All board members were present during the session, with the previous minutes being approved. The agenda was amended to hold an executive session before discussing action items. 

Preceding the financial report, Shelly Patrenos from the state examiners’ office presented the results of the districts’ FY 2025 audit report. Patrenos stated that all tests ran “did not display any instances of non-compliance with any laws”. There were no reported violations, marking the 4th year of clean reports for the board.

In the financial report, Mrs. Marquita Lennon presented a snapshot of the district’s financials. As of May 31, 2026, all bank accounts have been reconciled, and the combined ending fund balance is $8,593,196.78. No fraudulent activity was reported. A full document of numbers presented will be available on www.greenecodemocrat.com.

Superintendent Thurman began his report with summer school enrollment numbers: 67 at Eutaw Primary School, 36 at Rober Brown Middle, and 45 at Greene County High. He stated that the middle school numbers are “troubling” and that they are working on increasing attendance. Staffing numbers, however, are at 90%, which is excellent for this time of year.

Dr. Thurman also attended the West Alabama Works Regional Superintendents’ meeting regarding the career pathways program to ensure the district stays in good standing with career initiatives. “We want to stay at the forefront in our state,” he explained before detailing more professional development dates. There will be a school board conference starting on June 19th, and a Superintendent’s conference will be held June 20-24th.

Following the Superintendent’s report, Richardson motioned to have an executive session. Merriweather seconded the motion. The board moved to have an executive session for 30 minutes. The session lasted 45 minutes, yet no votes or decisions were made. The board immediately voted to discuss the action items recommended by Dr. Thurman. Merriweather motioned items B-G as a blanket, asking that item A be set aside. The board approved items B-G and opened discussion for item A. No comments were made.

The special recommendation personnel items were addressed under the attorney’s report. Attorney Sanders explained that the superintendent cannot recommend the CSFO or relatives for hire. Therefore, any candidates for hire who are related to the superintendent will be fully vetted by the attorney. There were no other legal matters to report.

Before adjourning, the board yielded the floor to city representatives from Boligee. Representatives came seeking a portion of land near Boligee’s volunteer fire department within the board’s jurisdiction. They stated the land would be used to fulfill a “vision of economic and industrial development” for the town, possibly including residential spaces. Leo Branch stated that the gathered citizens were “truly a bright spot in Greene County.” The potential donation or acquisition of the land will be further discussed with Attorney Sanders.

 

The following are the approved action items from the session:

1. Greene County Board of Education Policy on Retention Bonuses
2. Principal of Career-Technical Center Job Description
3. FY 2026 Budget Amendments
4. Overnight travel for girls’ basketball team to attend a basketball camp at Alabama A&M University on June 26-27
5. Payment of all bills, claims, and payroll
6. Bank reconciliations as submitted by Mrs. Marquita Lennon, CSFO
7. Revision of student uniform policy: added red, royal blue, and gold as approved shirt color options and black pants as an approved pants color option. Added Spirit Friday, where the uniform is optional.

 

The following are the approved personnel recommendations from the session:

Rescind

1. Employment of Genetta Bishop as the Jumpstart Kindergarten Teacher (Summer)
2. Employment of Kayla Thomas as a long-term substitute, Second grade at Eutaw Primary

Resignations

1. Krystal Flantroy, Science Teacher – Greene County High
2. Kelsey Smith, Special Services Teacher, Greene County High

Retirements

1. Gwendolyn Webb, Pre-K auxiliary Teacher – Eutaw Primary, effective July 1, 2026
2. Carolyn Daniels, Collaborative Teacher – Eutaw Primary, effective July 31, 2026

Employment for the 2026 – 2027 school term:

1. Camren Parker, Cook – Greene County High
2. Jarrilyn McKinstry, Kindergarten Teacher – Eutaw Primary
3. David Peterson III, Mechanic Helper – Transportation Department
4. JoAnn Smoot-Bryant, Career Tech Principal – Greene County Career Center
5. Glenara Faust, Fifth Grade Teacher – Robert Brown Middle
6. Mario Deloach, Science Teacher – Greene County High
7. Marva Smith, Long-term sub (ACCESS) – Greene County High
8. James Sewell, Physical Ed Teacher – Robert Brown Middle
9. Alphonzo Morton, Principal – Greene County High

Employment (Summer)

1. Carolyn Beck, Jumpstart Kindergarten Teacher – Eutaw Primary
2. Teresa Hill, Bus Driver for Blackbelt Scholars STEM Camp at Stillman College (Funding Source: Alabama Blackbelt Scholars)
3. Marilyn Finch, Bus Driver for Blackbelt Scholars STEM Camp at Stillman College (Funding Source: Alabama Blackbelt Scholars)

Stipend for Mrs. Soule, to serve as MTSS Coordinator at RBMS, in the amount of $500

Stipends for secretaries who serve as Truancy Liaisons between the school and parents:

1. Marilyn Sanford – RBMS – 1 full academic year – $1,000
2. Wanda Gaitor – GCHS – 1 full academic year – $1,000
3. Tweila Morris – GCCC – 1/2 academic year – $500
4. Tabitha Smith – EPS – 1 full academic year – $1,000

The special recommendation personnel items were addressed under the attorney’s report. Attorney Sanders explained that the superintendent cannot recommend the CSFO or relatives for hire. Therefore, any candidates for hire who are related to the superintendent will be fully vetted by the attorney. There were no other legal matters to report.

 

The next monthly school board meeting is scheduled for Monday, July 20th, at 4:30 pm.

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Featured Image: Boligee Mayor Hattie Samuel addressing school board members (Maya Quinn/The Democrat)