The Pike County Board of Education on Monday recognized a school project at Goshen High School that drew the community together.

“We all know that we see negativity in the newspaper and in the media, but it is refreshing when something occurs on the campus when people show participation,” said GHS Principal Major Lane. “Such an occasion occurred Saturday morning.”

Lane said members of the Goshen Lions Club came to the school to help with tasks such as painting the exterior of the school and powerwashing.

“It says a lot about school pride,” Lane said.

Pike County Schools Superintendent Dr. Mark Bazell said the beginning of the school year has begun with a smooth start.

“The school openings went well,” Bazell said. “The school year started in the right direction. It was really smooth. This is attributed to all the hard work put in this summer.”

Bazell said the only issue the schools are facing is the ongoing issue of finding a location for the virtual high school programs.

“We are continuing to look for a location that will be more permanent down the road,” Bazell said.

Bazell said that the board is happy to hear that Walmart is back open. The loss of tax money in the county would have set back the school system. “If it had stayed closed for three to four months, it would have made a dent,” Bazell said.

The board discussed the probability of losing about $40,000 if Walmart had remained closed for that amount of time.

Bazell concluded Monday’s meeting by saying that the board will later discuss the possibility of Pike County Schools becoming a charter school authorizer, but he decided to leave it off the agenda for this meeting.

In items of new business, the board approved the financial statement and bank reconcilements for July, the payment of payrolls for July and account run dates of July 28 and Aug. The board also approved the continued funding of $25,000 to the Pike County Economic Development Corporation, the permission for Mitzy Distel to attend the Alabama Association of School Business Officials Conference in Birmingham Sept. 21 to 22 and student transfers.

In personnel items, the board accepted the resignation of Amy Brown, Banks guidance counselor; Melissa Disney-Smith, Pike County High School secretary; and Barbara Holladay, teacher’s aide at Goshen Elementary School and bus driver. Holladay’s resignation will be effective Oct. 1.

The board also approved the employment of Roy Hoobler, music and choral teacher at PCHS; Judith Wells, part-time math teacher at PCHS; and Holly Davis, counselor at Banks.

Other personnel items included the board approving the catastrophic leaves of Mary Bradshaw, bus driver, and Cristin Dillard. Bradshaw is estimated to return Oct. 1.

The board approved the request to hire a part-time special education teacher-aide at Pike County Elementary School and approved coaching supplements.

The board also approved the GHS volunteer statuses of John Foster Styron, Antonio Demond Brundidge, Antonio K. Rogers, Kenneth Styron and Michael Wilcoxon.