Randolph County Board of Education approves FY2026 budget, accepts multiple bids and contracts

The Randolph County Board of Education approved the fiscal year 2026 budget and salary schedule during a second budget hearing on Sept. 11, 2025, and also approved a series of procurement and personnel items, the board announced at the meeting.

The vote followed a budget presentation by Bethany Waters, who offered to repeat the district’s PowerPoint for any board members who wished to review it. "I haven't changed anything since I've signed. I am more than willing to get back through the PowerPoint," Waters said during the meeting.

The budget motion was moved and seconded and carried by voice vote. The board then proceeded through a set of routine but consequential motions, approving bids for diesel fuel and LP gas, accepting contracts for therapy and behavior services, authorizing an out-of-state student trip, and approving the personnel action sheet.

The board approved the budget and salary schedule by voice vote; the meeting record shows the motion carried ("Ayes have it"). The presentation of July 2025 financial reports and the budget presentation were led by Bethany Waters, identified in the meeting as the district presenter.

Votes at a glance:

- Fiscal year 2026 budget and salary schedule — approved by voice vote (motion moved and seconded; "Ayes have it").

- Accept bid for diesel fuel from Willingham Oil Company at $2.54714 per gallon — approved by voice vote.

- Accept bid for diesel oil from Allen Oil Company (listed prices: $15.84 per gallon in gallon containers; $16.77 per gallon in quart containers; $15.05 per gallon in 55-gallon drums) — approved by voice vote.

- Accept bid for LP gas from Blossman Propane Gas at $1.959 per gallon plus a $14.99 compliance fee — approved by voice vote.

- Approve a set of provider contracts (listed together) for therapy and behavior services — approved by voice vote. Providers listed: Team Rehabilitation (occupational therapy services), The Learning Tree (board certified behavior analyst review services), Clay County Healthcare Authority (physical therapy evaluations and therapy; occupational therapy evaluation and therapy), ACT Behavior Consulting LLC (board certified behavior analyst), and Sherry Green (psychometry services). Meeting discussion noted the district may not use every provider and sometimes maintains primary and secondary contracts.

- Approve out-of-state field trip for approximately 20 Wadley and Woodland students to the Sunbelt Ag Expo in Moultrie, Georgia, on Oct. 15, 2025, chaperoned by Ally Johnson and Brad Johnson; trip cost was described in the meeting as paid with Title I student funding — approved by voice vote.

- Approve personnel action sheet — approved by voice vote.

Earlier in the meeting the board approved the agenda and the minutes of the Sept. 10, 2025, board meeting by voice vote.

Superintendent remarks and recognitions punctuated the session: the superintendent presented certificates of achievement from the Alabama Association of School Boards to board members Tim Prince, Sandra Thomas, Martin Murphy and Lance Den. The board adjourned with no further business recorded.

Clarifying details recorded in the meeting: the out-of-state field trip was described as involving "approximately 20" students from Wadley and Woodland schools and scheduled for Oct. 15, 2025; the meeting record states the trip is paid with Title I student funding. The contract approvals list several providers and explicitly notes the district "may not necessarily use all of these" and keeps secondary providers when needed.

The actions taken at the Sept. 11 hearing are procedural but affect routine operations (fuel supply, therapy and behavior services, personnel, and budget authority) for Randolph County Schools for FY2026. No formal roll-call vote with individual member votes was recorded in the transcript; outcomes are recorded in the minutes as voice votes with motions moved and seconded and the chair announcing that the "ayes have it."