BOE recognizes Joy League, tennis team at July meeting
The Homewood Board of Education recognized two groups with a large community impact at the July 17 board meeting.
Board members gave a standing ovation to Perry Akins and Ted Hagler, who are retiring as commissioners for the Joy League. The baseball league offers the chance for all players to be part of the game, and it has held games at Edgewood Elementary for 61 seasons.
Akins has worked with the Joy League about 45 years and Hagler about 40 years.
Superintendent Bill Cleveland said Homewood City Schools continues to support the Joy League because of its positive impact on generations of children.
"It's just modeling how to be a good adult ... and it's modeling so many of the things we believe in," Cleveland said.
The board also recognized two Homewood High tennis players for their state titles. Maggie White, a rising junior, won the state title at No. 1 singles, and she and Mackenzie Farrell, a rising freshman at Auburn, won the No. 1 doubles title together. The girls tennis team placed third overall in the 6A state tournament.
Cleveland described both players as "valuable members of this community" for their involvement outside the tennis court, and he said that Homewood had the highest number of state championships of any school in Alabama this year.
In addition, the board approved a number of contracts before the school year begins:
- $273,487.50 for school resource officer contracts. There will be two full time SROs, stationed at Homewood High and Homewood Middle, as well as four retired officers who will be divided among the three elementary schools and HMS. The board noted a 28 percent increase in SRO spending this year.
- A total of $19,900 for Williams Prevention Consulting to work on a drug-free campaign.
- $11,930 for Discovery to provide streaming and e-book services.
- $373.92 per route per day for Special Transportation Services to provide student transport, plus $95 per hour for field trips.
The board will next meet on Monday, Aug. 27 at 7 p.m. This meeting will include initial budget hearings.