ANNISTON, AL – The Calhoun County Board of Education meeting on Thursday evening was filled with celebrations of student achievements and important administrative decisions, drawing a packed house to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of students from across the district.
Athletic Excellence Dominates Recognition Portion
Board President Mike Webb opened the meeting with a prayer, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by Thea, a kindergarten graduate from Alexandria Elementary.
The recognition portion of the meeting showcased an impressive array of student achievements, with Board Member Tony Willis noting that due to the high number of accomplishments, only state championship winners and nationally recognized students were being honored at this meeting.
Weaver Elementary’s GreenPower USA Team Earns National Recognition
Principal Gail Fry introduced Weaver Elementary School’s “Speed Demons” GreenPower USA team, which successfully built and raced an electric car in multiple competitions. In their first year, the team placed in the top ten in four out of five races and ranked 11th out of 112 teams nationally.
“We’re really proud of them,” Fry said, introducing team members Aaron Bentley, Indigo Parker, Carter Ortiz, Colton Kirby, Xander Sanneh, Alex Brown, Lucas Stewart, Abigail Doss, Thomas White, and Kyron Turner.
SkillsUSA State Champions
Calhoun County Career Academy Principal Melanie Brooks presented three state champions from SkillsUSA. Cade Miller, a junior, won the state championship in CNC-turning programmer in his first year of competition. Tristan Brown was recognized as a SkillsUSA state officer, the first from Calhoun County Schools to hold this position. Kyle Griffin, who could not attend, was acknowledged as a two-time district champion and state champion in carpentry.
“Both Kyle and Cade will compete at nationals in June in Atlanta in their events against competitors from across the nation,” Brooks said.
Weaver Boys Track Team Clinches State Championship
Coach Bo Winn introduced the Weaver High School boys track team, 3A state champions, noting that 11 team members qualified for the state competition. The team accumulated 86 points at the state meet, defeating T.R. Miller High School by approximately nine points.
“It’s been a special year for us and for me with these seniors,” an emotional Coach Winn told the board, highlighting individual achievements including Harper Williams (state champion in the 400-meter dash), Keyshawn Allen (state champion in both 110-meter hurdles and 300-meter hurdles), and numerous other medal winners.
Winn proudly announced that Williams and Allen had signed D1 scholarships with Lipscomb University the previous day.
Individual Track Champions
Several coaches introduced individual track state champions from their schools, including Pleasant Valley’s Clark Hill (2A pole vault gold) and Pelo Perez (2A champion in both 400-meter and 800-meter dash).
Coach Prisendine from Alexandria presented Annabeth Stewart, state champion in the 4A girls high jump with a leap of 5’2″. “I couldn’t be more proud of her,” Prisendine said. “She did a great job for us and our team this year.”
White Plains High School’s Maddyn Conn was recognized for her remarkable achievement of 11 state championships throughout her high school career, including three in cross-country, two in indoor track, and six in outdoor track. Her coach noted she holds school records in the 1,600-meter, 3,200-meter, and as part of the 4×800-meter relay team. Conn has committed to Jacksonville State University on a full D1 track scholarship.
Wrestling Champions Dominate State Competitions
Coach Brown presented the Weaver High School girls wrestling team, winners of the first-ever AHSAA-sanctioned 1A-5A state championship for girls wrestling. The team scored over 200 points at the state tournament, securing victory before the final day of competition.
The team qualified all ten wrestlers for the state championships, with all ten placing and nine reaching the state finals. Individual state champions included Ali Anderson, Jaylee Carter, Ashlyn Coleman, Mariah Johannson, Lena Johannson (state MVP), Heaven Bishop, and Baleigh Brown.
“They had a great year. I’m proud of them,” Coach Brown said. “I’m looking to do it again.”
Coach Fullmer recognized Weaver High School’s boys wrestling state champions, Hayden Hise (132-pound class) and Brandon Jolliff (heavyweight). Jolliff will wrestle in college after completing basic training with the U.S. Marine Corps this summer.
“These are two really good ones, and they’re going to be really good moving forward,” Fullmer said.
WBRC Fox 6 Rising Star
Board President Mike Webb proudly introduced his daughter, Bentley, a senior who was selected as one of five WBRC Fox 6 Rising Star students from across the state, earning a $5,000 scholarship. The competitive process involved application materials, essays, facility tours, and formal interviews.
District Business and Strategic Plan Approval
Following the recognitions, Superintendent Tony Willis presented the district’s financial report, noting cash and cash equivalents totaling approximately $63 million as of March 31, 2025, with investments and related receivables of about $16 million.
Willis reported that revenues in the general fund were at 55.85% for the sixth month of the fiscal year, with major revenue sources showing “little or no growth as compared to previous years.” He noted this trend was also being observed at the state level. Expenditures across all general fund categories were at approximately 46% of budgeted amounts.
Five-Year Strategic Plan
A significant portion of the superintendent’s report focused on the district’s new five-year strategic plan, which was later approved by the board. The plan was developed through extensive community input, with 1,503 survey responses from various stakeholders including parents (55%), students (10%), business owners, university personnel, and community members.
“Our client is the community,” Willis explained, emphasizing the importance of aligning district priorities with community expectations.
The survey identified top challenges including teacher recruitment and retention, addressing mental health needs, and workforce preparation. Surprisingly, when asked what qualities graduates should possess, the community ranked character and soft skills higher than academic abilities.
The plan includes a new, simplified mission statement: “Empowering students for lifelong success,” and establishes strategic objectives in five categories: student outcomes, stakeholder satisfaction, employee development, fiscal sustainability, and support systems.
“Five years from now when we’re all sitting here, we want to be able to look at those and say we are significantly better now at all of this than we were in 2025,” Willis said.
Board Approves Multiple Action Items
The board unanimously approved several action items including:
- The Stars for Shining Schools summer work project
- An agreement with Gadsden State Talent Search
- The elementary summer math and literacy camp
- Roof and mechanical upgrades for Woodward Elementary School
- The 2025-2030 strategic plan with new mission and vision statements
- A request for proposal for energy-saving design by Schneider Electric
- A lengthy personnel list including resignations, retirements, and transfers affecting 17 of the district’s 18 schools
- Non-renewal list
- TEAMS contracts (additional compensation for math and science teachers) for 25 employees
- A new principal contract
- Supplemental additions and coaching supplements
The board also announced several new appointments, including Dr. Shannon Romano as the new Special Education Director, Julie Uddyke as the new Principal at Saks Elementary School, and Justin Brown as the new head wrestling coach at Weaver High School.
The final action of the evening was the board’s approval of a new three-year contract (2025-2028) for the district’s Chief School Financial Officer.
The meeting adjourned following approval of all action items, with Board President Webb thanking everyone for their attendance.
