The construction of the new Hartselle High School on Bethel Road has made substantial strides in recent weeks, project manager Jim Maynard of Martin & Cobey Constriction Company, Inc., told school board members. During the regular Hartselle City Board of Education meeting, Thursday, Oct. 25, Maynard said he was “pleased with recent progress” but would not expect the entire completion of the project until the contractual date in the first week of February.

Maynard reported that tack coat is down in the parking areas and the first layer of asphalt is scheduled to be paved this week at the site. The exterior building is almost 100 percent, while the inside of the main building is in the finishing stages with case work and flooring in nearly 70 percent of the classrooms, he said.

The attempt to drill at least one more well is also planned for this week. They need to find a well with at the water pressure of 60 gallons per minute. Two wells have been drilled already – one at 11 gallons per minute and the second at 60 gallons a minute. If they can find one more it would be a significant savings to the school in utilities cost in the future, Maynard said. The water will help in the irrigation of the athletic fields and building, with the city water being a back-up. They will make up to two attempts to find the second well, at $4,000 per attempt.

In other business, school board members also approved the following items:

• Requests for the Hartselle Kiwanis Club to use the Hartselle High School cafeteria on Saturday, Nov. 3 for their annual pancake breakfast fundraiser.

• The Hartselle High School Basketball team to use the J.C. Pettey Center on Nov. 24, Dec. 15, Jan. 12, and Feb. 2 to host basketball games for the Tennessee Valley Basketball Association.

• The request for Hartselle Alumni Association to use the HHS cafeteria on Dec. 20 to host the College Breakfast and the Membership Drive Chili Dinner.

• Out-of-State field trips for: Eight grade students to travel to the Parthenon in Nashville, Tenn. On Nov. 17; Fourth grade gifted program students at all elementary schools to travel to Nashville April 4-5 to visit the Parthenon, Country Music Hall of Fame, Adventure Science Center, and the Hermitage Museum; and the fifth grade gifted program students at all elementary schools to travel to Atlanta, Ga., on April 11-12 to visit Turner Field Museum, CNN, Zoo Atlanta, Night Crawlers Overnight Program, Cyclorama, and the Georgia Aquarium.

• The request that all old Child Nutrition Program equipment be disposed of by sealed bid.

• Awarding two contacts to The Mental Health Center of North Center Alabama. One through The Albany Clinic, for the service of an At-Risk Counselor, for the 2012-2013 school year, and the second through the Quest Recovery Center for the services of a Drug Counselor for the 2012-2013 school year.

• The 2012-2013Continuouse Improvement Plans for Barkley Bridge Elementary, F.E. Burleson Elementary, Crestline Elementary, Hartselle Junior High School, and Hartselle High Schools.

• New support personnel evaluation forms.

• The selection of Monty Vest as representative for the board as a voting delegate at the Alabama Association of School Board’s 2012 Convention and Delegate Assembly, and Jennifer Sittason as alternate.

• The change order for the floor plan revision of the field house and practice facilities to be constructed at the new high school site, to include facilities for softball.

The board also approved the following personnel items:

• Leave for Jean-Marie Davis, nurse at Hartselle High School, to be placed on unpaid Family Medical Leave after all sick leave and personal leave days are depleted, from Nov. 2 through Dec. 21.

• The resignation of Toni Nicholson, instructional aide, based at Barkley Bridge Elementary School effective Nov. 2.

• Employment of Kevin Byrd to fill the position of Instructional Aide, based at the Central Office, retroactive to Sept. 27; Denise Wigginton to fill the position of Instructional Aide, based at the Central Office, effective Oct. 6; Courtney Corder to fill the position of Instructional Aide, based at the Central Office, effective Nov. 5; Jeff Vaughn as part-time band director, effective Oct. 26; and John Mark Waynick to fill the position of wrestling coach at Hartselle High School, effective Oct. 25.

• Rachelle Miller as a volunteer cross country/track and field coach for5 the 2012-2013 school year.