At the Oct. 9 Alabama State Board of Education meeting, Doctor Mackey provided the board’s executive and legal report, describing progress in three local school systems currently under state intervention: Bessemer, Dallas County and Sumter County.

Doctor Mackey said Bessemer has a new superintendent, Michael Turner; has completed construction projects; adopted a new strategic plan; provided boardmanship professional development for local board members; and implemented a new payroll system to address prior problems.

Dallas County, the newest system under intervention, has experienced leadership turnover, Doctor Mackey reported: the district had lost its chief financial officer and superintendent but has hired Brent Mills as CFO and a new superintendent, Dr. Corey Jones, who started in October. Mackey said the district closed two schools because of declining enrollment and is developing a long-term plan for financial responsibility and accountability.

Sumter County, which has been under state intervention longest, is consolidating to a single campus and continuing a large construction project. Doctor Mackey said the district is working through deficiencies identified in a Cognia accreditation report and that local board members have participated in training.

Mackey told the board he would provide a longer, written report to members after the meeting and that staff continue to engage with the three districts more often than the public report schedule. The board recorded no formal votes on these updates; they were presented as part of the agency’s regular executive report.

Board members and staff asked no substantive policy changes during the presentation; the reported actions are ongoing administrative work while the state remains in supervisory roles in the three districts.