Superintendent Eddie Tyler and school board members gathered for this month's Baldwin County Board of Education meeting, which took place in Bay Minette on Nov. 16, discussing several topics including strengthening data and intervention strategies, ACT boot camps, math coaching programs and art lessons.

Board members also voted for a new school board president and vice president; Mike Johnson and Jason Woerner were unanimously voted into their positions, respectively.

Previously, Johnson, who graduated from Baldwin County High School in 1974, serves as a board member for District One, which includes Bay Minette Elementary, Bay Minette Middle, Baldwin County High, Delta Elementary ,Perdido School, Pine Grove Elementary, Stapleton School and the North Baldwin Center for Technology.

Woerner, who graduated from Foley High School in 1995, serves as a board member for District Five, which includes Elberta Elementary, Elberta Middle and Elberta High School.

All agenda items were approved at the November meeting.

Data and intervention strategies
The board voted to approve a contract with Solution Tree to provide a model in Foley High School and Elberta Middle School to strengthen data and intervention strategies to improve the overall quality of education in the county. The contract will amount to a total of approximately $50,400 and will be funded through Title 1 funds.
According to the contract, the program offers sessions on high-impact instructional and PLC practices, result-oriented training for teachers, second language acquisition and standards to encourage and optimize student learning and achievement.
The coaching sessions are scheduled to begin in December, carrying through until May 2024, and session topics could include team activities, coaching in areas of necessary growth, creating a collaborative culture, essential learning targets, formative assessments, data analysis, intervention response, mathematics, literacy and school culture.

ACT boot camps

The board also approved the purchase of contracted service with Mastery Prep for ACT boot camps and workbooks for interested students. According to the contract, the county has previously offered one fully funded boot camp for every high school student across the county during the school year.
Additionally, the county also offers additional boot camps during the summer break, free of charge for all Baldwin County students. The total cost of the program is approximately $43,020 and is funded through the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds, which was put in place to support education following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Math coaching program
Board members also approved a contract with Savvas to provide math coaching for middle and high school students across the county. The county has previously offered these services since 2021 but has voted to approve a motion to add additional coaching for the 2023-24 school year.
According to the contract, the additional service will total approximately $29,000 and will also be funded through the ESSR emergency relief funds.

Art lessons
Lastly, the board rounded out the meeting with the approval of a contract with Coastal Makers LLC to provide art lessons to students attending the after school program at the Elsanor School in Robertsdale.
Previously, at the Oct. 19 meeting, the board approved a contract with the Mobile based art studio to provide art lessons to students enrolled in the county's after school care program at Florence B. Mathis, Loxley, Stapleton and Stonebridge elementary schools.
The sessions will cost the board $300 each, ranging from Nov. 1 to May 24, 2024, totaling approximately $15,000.

According to the school system's website, the after school child care program is offered at all elementary and some intermediate schools in the county, serving students beginning at the pre-K level.

The program runs from 3 to 5:30 p.m., and tuition ranges from $25 to $38 weekly depending on the school. The cost of the program will be funded through the county's funds designated for the after school program.

The next board meeting will be a joint work session and board meeting on Dec. 5 at 4:30 p.m., and is open to the public.