Baldwin County Board of Education approves contracts, personnel actions and disseminates revised policy ahead of Oct. 1 changes

The Baldwin County Board of Education on Aug. 21 approved a package of contracts, personnel actions and interagency agreements and authorized the dissemination of revised board policy for local review, board members said.

The board approved contracts with Solution Tree and Scholastic to be paid with federal Title I and Title II funds, voted to fund membership in the Alabama Association of School Boards' legal assistance fund, and authorized a county sales-and-use-tax resolution with the Baldwin County Commission, among other items. Board members also approved an agreement allowing school-district transportation assets and facilities to be used for evacuations and authorized a memorandum of agreement with the Baldwin County Juvenile Detention Center.

Board action covered routine business that affects day-to-day school operations and federal program implementation, while the policy dissemination item was highlighted because state law changes affecting a mental-health opt-out must be reflected in district policy before Oct. 1, officials said.

Most items were adopted by voice vote after motions and seconds were recorded. For example, the board approved the low bidder for system goods and services (motion by April, second by Brandy) and the county sales-and-use-tax agreement with the Baldwin County Commission (motion by Jason, second by Andrea). Contracts with Solution Tree for Baldwin County High School and for Perdido School professional development were moved and seconded by board members and carried without recorded opposition. The board approved ongoing reading-intervention professional learning and coaching with Scholastic to support secondary students using Title II funds (motion by Jason, second by Andrea).

On policy dissemination, the board authorized distributing the revised board policy to local schools and organizations for input, with the intent to return the item for adoption in September. A board member noted that revisions required by changes in law governing a mental-health opt-out are scheduled to take effect Oct. 1 and should be adopted no later than September, a topic board members said they expected to address before that deadline.

Personnel actions were approved in bulk where the superintendent presented leaves of absence, retirements and resignations, terminations of temporary or probationary classified personnel “in accordance to act number 2011270 (the Student First Act),” transfers, employment and extra work for extended periods; many personnel details were provided to board members under separate cover and were described in the agenda exhibit. The board also approved reassignment of personnel and a rescission of a prior employment action as amended on the agenda.

Two administrative agreements were specifically authorized: an agreement enabling the use of Baldwin County Board of Education transportation assets and facilities for evacuations, and a 2025–26 memorandum of agreement between the Baldwin County Board of Education and the Baldwin County Juvenile Detention Center authorizing the superintendent or designee to execute the MOA in a form similar to the attached agenda exhibit.

During public comment, John Cardwell, principal of Fairhope High School, said the school was recently ranked sixth in the state by U.S. News & World Report and thanked the board, staff and community: “Fairhope High School was ranked number 6 in the, in the state of Alabama. Thank you.”

The board adjourned with a reminder of a budget hearing scheduled for the following Thursday.