The Covington County Board of Education honored three school counselors and approved two more issues pertaining to personnel at its regularly scheduled meeting on Monday 17 July.
Pleasant Home School’s Tony Wilson, Red Level School’s Melissa Nall, and Straughn High School’s Stephanie Bryan were recognized for having a 100 percent graduation rate for their seniors’ participation for the Alabama College Application Campaign.
Students are required to fill out the free Form of Federal Student Aid, commonly called FAFSA prior to final year of high school. This is because the Alabama State Department of Education initially enacted this obligation prior to the outbreak.
“I am working with three fantastic counselors that I have the pleasure of working with each year. “The College Application Campaign is a program that assists students fill out their FAFSA and has now become an obligatory required requirement to graduate. Even if students don’t plan to go to a community school and are pursuing a job need to complete the FAFSA to be able to graduate at the Alabama High School. Our counselors joined the bandwagon before they realized the requirement was soon to be a reality. It’s difficult to obtain 100% participation. We’re glad that the state has recognized them and we are pleased to honor them today. We are grateful for all the effort you put into to help our students,” Covington County Schools Special Education Coordinator Kelly McCollough said.
Director Shannon Driver also recognized Wilson, Nall, and Bryan for their contribution to the schoolchildren of the county.
“These counselors put in a lot of effort and put in lots of hours. It’s a challenge because this is only one of numerous things they need to complete. They’re doing an excellent job and we are grateful for their dedication to getting the job done.” Driver said.
The board also authorized:
Resignation
- Ashley Brunson as mental health coordinator for Covington County Schools, effective July 25th.
Employment
- Tari McClung as counselor at W.S. Harlan Elementary School from the start of the school year 2023-2024 until verification of the background checks, whether new or already completed.
In other industries:
- The board has approved handbooks for 2023-2324 academic year. Driver stated that paper copies will be available, however, certain schools will also offer the digital version that can be accessible through the QR code.
- The board voted on salary schedules for 2023-2024 retroactive until July 1. Driver explained that they reflect a 2 percent increase for the school’s staff and teachers as well as support personnel from the ALSDE. The new schedule also includes changes for support staff of the system.
The board has set the date for its next meeting to the 1st of August, Tuesday at 5:45 p.m. at the office centrally located.
The article The CCBOE has recognized school counselors with 100 percent of their time on the Alabama College Application Campaign was originally published in The Andalusia Star-News.
