Andalusia City Schools superintendent Dr. Daniel Shakespeare on Tuesday told the Andalusia City Council the investment it has made in education is paying off.
“Thank you for making education one of the top priorities, if not the top priority in Andalusia,” Shakespeare said.
He said one of his top goals as superintendent was to elevate Andalusia City Schools to one of the top systems in the state, then shared some recent milestones.
• Based on test scores, Andalusia City Schools is projected to have a 91/A on its state report card for the 2024-25 school year, the fourth year running for that achievement.
• In Niche’s best schools ratings, ACS was 13th of 141 in Best Places in Alabama to Teach.
• Niche rated ACS 13th among 138 systems as District with the Best Teachers in Alabama.
• Niche rated ACS 21st among 141 systems as Best School Districts in Alabama.
• ACS was the first Apple Distinguished School District in Alabama, recognized for “inspiring, imagining, and impacting teaching and learning through continuous innovation.”
He also shared his goals for the current academic year, which began earlier this month. Among the goals are increases in student achievement, and improvements in student behavior, culture and attendance.
One change that will help schools meet those goals, he said, is the implementation of Alabama’s new Focus Act, which does not allow cell phones during the school day. To comply with the law, the system issued Yondr pouches to each student in junior and high school. Students are required to close their devices inside the magnetic pouches at the start of every school day, and can only open them with magnets placed at the school exits.
Dr. Shakespeare appeared before the council in a workshop meeting in which he presented the system’s $4.6 million request for funding in the 2025-26 academic year. The funding comes from a special half-cent sales tax assessed for education. He asked the council to fund initiatives that support the use of technology in the classroom, including the lease for devises used in the classroom, and funding an education technology specialist, who helps teachers use the technology available to them.
In addition, he sought support for continuing art and music programs in the school; funds for the system’s bond payment on the recent renovations to the auditorium and stadium, and maintenance funds for those facilities.
Finally, he shared drawings of a planned $16.5 million addition to Andalusia Elementary School, and proposed using $3.5 million of the education funds available for that project.
The addition is needed, he said, because the addition of state-funded pre-school programs mean the school is out of space. The addition includes 16 classrooms, a gymnasium and eating area. In addition, eight of the 16 classrooms will be a “hardened,” FEMA-approved space to be used as a storm shelter. In the event of an emergency, it can hold 1,400 people, he said.
In other business, the council:
• Approved the transfer of an off-premise beer and wine license for Vinnys Stop And Go, located at 630 Dr. MLK Expressway.
• Approved the abatement of nuisance properties on Chestnut Street, Morrison Street, and Sixth Avenue. Photographs presented to the council showed problems with weeds, or the accumulation of junk and scrap.