Cullman County Schools board approves routine personnel, financial and school requests; recognizes bus driver and introduces new technology director

The Cullman County Schools Board of Education on Thursday approved multiple routine personnel, financial and school requests by voice vote, recognized a school bus driver for actions that prevented a likely accident and introduced Marty Calvert as the district—s new technology director.

The approvals covered the January meeting minutes; personnel items listed as items 2 through 10; school requests in items 11 through 13; financial items 14 and 15; two out-of-state field trips in item 16; purchases of textbooks listed in items 17 through 20; surplus and sale of Culinary Technology Academy items in item 21; and the Cullman County organizational plan for the 2025-26 school year in item 22. Each recommendation was presented by Dr. Barnett and approved after a motion, second and a voice vote. Several items were grouped (for example, personnel items 2-10) and passed as a block.

The board recognized a school bus driver identified in the meeting only as Mr. Adams after a video of a morning route showed a near-miss in which a child briefly left the curb before the driver signaled the child to cross. A board member described the driver as having been "aware of his surroundings" and credited his actions with preventing an accident. Mr. Adams accepted the recognition and said, "Thank you."

The meeting also included an introduction of Marty Calvert as the district—s technology director. Calvert, who identified himself as a product of Cullman County Schools and said he returned to the district after years working elsewhere, told the board, "I'm Marty Calvert. I'm a product of the Cullman County Schools. Graduated from Cullman Springs in '82, college in '84...came back to Cullman County Schools." Another technology staff member, Marlon, was noted as having served roughly 26 years with the district.

In his superintendent's report, Dr. Barnett described an early dismissal earlier that day prompted by weather concerns and said all buses and students were returned home safely. He noted the district had posted schedule items including the end of the nine-week grading period, report-card distribution and spring break dates in his written report and closed his remarks by saying, "That's all I have to report."

The board announced its next regular meeting would be Thursday, March 13, 2025, with a work session at 3:30 p.m. and a media meeting immediately following the work session. Several board votes were handled as voice votes with no roll-call tallies recorded in the meeting transcript.

Votes at a glance: approval of January minutes (item 1) — approved by voice vote; personnel items (items 2-10) — approved by voice vote; school requests (items 11-13) — approved by voice vote; financial items (14-15) — approved by voice vote; out-of-state field trips (item 16) — approved by voice vote; textbook purchases (items 17-20) — approved by voice vote; surplus/sale (item 21) — approved by voice vote; Cullman County organizational plan for 2025-26 (item 22) — approved by voice vote. The superintendent's report (item 23) was presented. The meeting concluded after routine business and brief board remarks.

The meeting record shows limited debate on the listed items; most were approved without extended discussion and by unanimous voice votes recorded in the transcript.