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Schools start work on disabilities compliance

By Jared Felkins
The Times-Journal

Published June 24, 2009

One of the state’s leading consultants on disabilities requirements introduced himself Monday to the Fort Payne City school board in what could become a partnership.

Kirk Tcherneshoff, president of Tcherneshoff Consulting in Valley Head, presented the first in what is expected to be several proposals to the board that would help city schools become fully compliant with the guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

I want to help Fort Payne to come into compliance,” Tcherneshoff said. “I want to help. We leave no stone unturned in what we do.”

Tcherneshoff said he would present the board with a transition survey that would lay out a construction plan that “documents all barriers.” He also said he would present a self evaluation to review all policies and practices.

Tcherneshoff said in three to five years, schools could be in ADA compliance. He said the evaluation would take 15-16 hours in each school and another 40-50 hours in his office to complete the evaluation. He brought a similar evaluation done in 2008 for the city of Henagar.

Superintendent Jimmy Cunningham said the board is considering the proposal and has invited Tcherneshoff back for more information. A cost has not been presented to the board.

The board also:

• heard a presentation from Junior Leadership DeKalb director Paula Thomas and student Meghan Rodgers, who recently completed the honors program.

• presented a retirement resolution to former Fort Payne Middle School aide Beverly Gray.

• approved leave requests for Jana Grogham, Brandy Dupree, Jennifer Goggans and Leslie Bowman.

• approved transfers for Marsha Phillips from lunchroom worker at Fort Payne High School to lunchroom manager at Williams Avenue Elementary School, Angela King from part-time lunchroom worker to full-time lunchroom worker at the high school, Janell Frazier from lunchroom worker at Fort Payne High School to Williams Avenue, Susan Gibson from computer aide at the middle school to system-wide special education aide, Donna Sharp from third-grade to fourth-grade teacher at Williams Avenue, Beverly Sutton from bookkeeper at the high school to system-wide special education aide in the preschool/multi-needs program at Wills Valley Elementary School and Larry Kirby from part-time to full-time bus driver.

• hired Miranda Simmons as bus driver, Raylene Cruse and Alice Alvarez as lunchroom workers at Wills Valley, Sammy Hill as child nutrition custodian at the middle school, Jolie Martin and Angie Hammon as pre-k aides at Wills Valley, Jamie Shankles as eighth-grade teacher, Heath Vincent as history teacher at the high school and Lori Bible and Greg Pendergrass as summer Alabama High School Graduation Exam remediation teachers.

• approved the creation, advertising and filling of a system-wide special education behavioral specialist to be placed at Wills Valley.

• approved increases in substitute employee pay to compensate for the rise in federal minimum wage. The increase will come from local funds.

• in the superintendent’s report, Cunningham said schools meet the requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

The board will meet July 27 at 6 p.m. in the central office.

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