Board approves reading-specialist contract change and adopts new anatomy textbooks

The Limestone County Board of Education approved a change to the job definition for reading specialists — moving the positions from nine- to ten-month contracts — and adopted new instructional materials including a $41,846 purchase of anatomy and physiology textbooks.

Board members discussed that the change to reading-specialist positions is not a new role but a change to existing positions, aligning the district with state terminology and practice. A staff member explained that the update moves those positions from a nine-month to a 10-month contract to reflect state recommendations and to cover summer program work: “It's just changing them from 9 months to 10 months ... the state has recommended that we go to do a 10 month contract because they have to work the summer program,” the staff member said.

Board discussion also covered funding for the positions. The staff member said funding allocations are provided to schools with a K–3 configuration and that, while the intent is for a 100% allocation for each reading specialist, the final amount depends on where an individual falls on the salary schedule.

The board voted unanimously to approve the job-description and contract-length change. The board also approved an item adopting the state-approved list of CTE (career-technical education) human-services-cluster textbooks for the district; board members clarified that adoption does not obligate the district to purchase every title on the state list.

Separately, the board approved the adoption and purchase of Anatomy and Physiology (Third Edition, 2023) textbooks at a cost of $41,846. That motion also passed unanimously.

Actions recorded show motions to approve the personnel-item change, adopt the CTE textbook list, and purchase the anatomy textbooks were each moved, seconded and approved without recorded opposition.