Superintendent: Hubbard seniors can attend any county high school

May 27—MOULTON — Rising seniors from the now-closed R.A. Hubbard High can attend and participate in sports at any of Lawrence County's remaining three high schools in the fall, the school board was told Thursday, and the system will keep a popular East Lawrence High teacher/coach.

Superintendent Jon Bret Smith said Justin Duke, a social science teacher and assistant football coach, received tenure and will be employed somewhere in the school system next year.

In his report to the board, Smith said Lawrence County High is now an option for rising seniors from Hubbard, in addition to Hatton and East Lawrence High.

But District 1 School Board Member Christine Garner said some parents of former Hubbard students have concerns about long bus rides and they will be meeting with the superintendent and principals at the First Missionary Baptist Church in Courtland on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

"They have concerns about bus times and other questions," Garner said. "They are wanting to make sure their kids will get what they need."

Smith said the transition has been going smoothly.

"On May 17, about 40 R.A. Hubbard parents met with principals and coaches from Hatton High, East Lawrence Middle and East Lawrence High School and had their questions answered," Smith said.

He said the following day, R.A. Hubbard students toured the three schools and met with students there.

Open house events at Hatton and the East Lawrence schools on May 19 were well attended, he added.

Smith said any possible plaintiff's appeal of the judge's ruling allowing closure of the Class 1A school in North Courtland expired at midnight Wednesday.

Federal District Judge R. David Proctor on April 25 gave approval of the Lawrence County Board of Education's decision to close the school because of the cost of keeping it open. System data showed the school, with 145 students in grades 7-12, had an average annual per-pupil cost of $18,030, by far the highest amount in the school district. — Justin Duke

Also at Thursday's board meeting, about 20 people from the East Lawrence community were relieved to discover Duke, previously non-tenured, was not on the termination list.

"Nothing was 100% certain until the meeting," said Kelly Davenport, a parent of an East Lawrence High student and supporter of Duke. "When you get a good fit for the community you try to keep what you have. Coach Duke is the first to volunteer and completes the task at hand."

At its May 2 meeting, more than 50 people urged the board not to terminate Duke, who they said was a positive role model for students. The board removed his name from the termination list at that meeting.

In transactions involving certified personnel, the board:

—Accepted the resignations of Jesse Lee Laster, teacher at Hazlewood Elementary; Jacob Danley, physical education teacher at Moulton Middle; Prentice Thomas, science teacher at R.A. Hubbard; Adam Smith, social science teacher at East Lawrence High School; Bayley Waters, elementary teacher/high dosage tutor at East Lawrence Middle; and Joshua McGuire, secondary teacher at Hatton High School.

—Amended the employment contracts of Katherine Woodall, elementary teacher/high dosage tutor at Hazlewood Elementary, effective May 16; and Jacob Hamilton, physical education teacher at Hazlewood Elementary, effective Aug. 3.

—Transferred Eron Coan from elementary teacher at Hatton Elementary to countywide pre-K home-based at Hatton Elementary; Craig Stover, social science teacher at R.A. Hubbard to social science teacher at East Lawrence High School; Trista Clark, math teacher at R.A. Hubbard to math teacher at East Lawrence High School; William Wright, agriscience teacher at R.A. Hubbard to agriscience teacher at Hatton High School; Brianna Burns-Wright, English teacher at R.A. Hubbard to English teacher at Hatton High School; Jessica Cantrell, math teacher at R.A. Hubbard to math teacher at Hatton High School; Frederick Steger, countywide special education teacher home-based at R.A. Hubbard to countywide special education teacher home-based at Hatton High School; Amanda Frye, science teacher at R.A. Hubbard to science teacher at Hatton High School; Claude Hampton, physical education teacher at R.A. Hubbard to middle school teacher at East Lawrence Middle School; Keanne Biggs, music teacher/band director at R.A. Hubbard/ Hazlewood Elementary to music teacher/band director at Hazlewood Elementary/East Lawrence Middle; Laura Jones, countywide special education teacher home-based at Hatton Elementary to countywide special education teacher home-based at Speake Elementary; and Judy Phillips, counselor at R.A. Hubbard to counselor at Hatton High and East Lawrence High.

— mike.wetzel@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2442. Twitter @DD_Wetzel.