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Stephens seeks re-election as schools superintendent
"I am again asking for your support in my bid for re-election. It is an honor to serve the people of Clarke County and I am so appreciative to all our employees who work so hard to provide an excellent educational program for our students. There is still work to be done in order to meet our goals and I remain committed to excellence in education," Stephens said. A native of Clarke County, Stephens is a graduate of Thomasville High School. He received his bachelor of science degree, master's degree, and AA certification in administration and supervision from the University of Alabama. Prior to his election as superintendent in 1992, he was the head coach and athletic director at Clarke County High School, served as principal of Clarke County High for 14 years and as adult education supervisor from 1989 to 1992. He has been employed by the Clarke County Board of Education since 1973. In making this re-election announcement, Stephens highlighted the numerous accomplishments during his administration with emphasis on the improvements in the academic program, the facilities and the transportation system. The Clarke County School System is a leader in the state with the Alabama Reading Initiative Program which has been recognized nationally for its success. This system began with four schools as ARI schools in 1999 and now every elementary and middle school and one high school is an ARI school. Six of the school faculties are AMSTI (Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative) trained and an additional school has applied to be AMSTI trained. Teachers have participated in continuous professional development programs. Coffeeville High School and Clarke County High School have Distance Learning Labs and Jackson High School will receive funding for this type lab in the 2008-2009 school year. All school buses for the school system are within the 10- year window and meet the state requirements. The buses are equipped with radios and the transportation department has contact with each bus driver throughout the entire system. Many of the buses are equipped with cameras and additional cameras are added each year. School bus safety continues to be a top priority. Since first taking office, more than $25 million has been spent for new or for the renovation of the facilities. During the present term, the following projects have been completed: a new $6 million academic building for Clarke County High, a gym for Jackson Intermediate School, a new home side stadium for Prim Stadium at Clarke County High School, a new cafeteria for Jackson Middle School, the addition of a music/fine arts building at Jackson High School, improvements in the parking area at Wilson Hall Middle School, the construction of a baseball/softball field for Clarke County High School, upgrades to the baseball field at Jackson High School including the construction of new restrooms, the converting of pods to classrooms at Grove Hill Elementary School, renovation and up-grades to the gym/multi-purpose building at Gillmore Elementary, and extensive renovation needed for the consolidation of Coffeeville Elementary and Coffeeville High School. With the completion of the new lunchroom at Wilson Hall Middle School, extensive work was done to the old lunchroom converting the area to offices and the library. With financial support from the City of Jackson, a new ticket booth/concession stand, and restrooms were constructed at Legion Field in Jackson. Many schools have been re-roofed in recent years. Within the next month, the contract will be signed for a new athletic building at Jackson High School. Smaller projects have included new doors, canopies, air conditioning, and general upgrades to the facilities. Plans for the future include central air conditioning and heating for Wilson Hall Middle School, re-roof and install a new HVAC system for Grove Hill Elementary School, a Career Tech Center for Clarke County High and a county-wide technology/ professional development center to be located in Grove Hill. The HVAC system at Jackson High School will be replaced and a new gym/auditorium will be constructed at Jackson Middle School in addition to replacing the heating and air conditioning units. The auditorium at Coffeeville High will be air conditioned and also the gymnasium will be re-plumbed. The major construction project will be the construction of a new facility to replace Gillmore Elementary School.
The maintenance department has been successful in implementing a preventive maintenance program because of the purchase of equipment and vehicles. The Child Nutrition Department continues to provide nutritious meals because of the purchasing of new equipment and the implementation of programs to promote healthy eating habits for the students.
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