Marion County Board of Education

Hamilton - Marion County’s one-cent education sales tax generated a record $144,815.89 for the month of February.
The collections were reported during the Marion County Board of Education’s meeting on Wednesday, March 18. The sales tax outpaced last February’s collections ($135,026.63) by $9,789.26.
The one-cent sales tax report reflects the total amount of sales countywide, meaning that $14,481,589 was generated in gross sales in Marion County last month. However, the education sales tax does not account for online sales made locally.

HAMILTON - The collapse of the lunchroom kitchen floor in Guin may have been due to missing vents in the design of the building, according to state inspectors.
Lathan Associates Architects Vice President Shawn Calma met with the Marion County Board of Education on a video call during a meeting on Wednesday, March 18.
The kitchen floor partially collapsed on Friday afternoon, Feb. 21, while lunchroom staff were working. No one was injured.

HAMILTON - Lunchroom operations have abruptly shutdown for Guin schools as their cafeteria’s kitchen floor has collapsed.
The Marion County Board of Education held a special meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 26, to review the situation and declared the conditions at the elementary lunchroom to be an emergency.
The declaration empowers Marion County Superintendent of Education Ann West to approve any emergency expenditures relating to the situation.

HAMILTON - Marion County’s one-cent education sales tax generated a record-breaking collection for the month of January.
January’s tax report was presented to the Marion County Board of Education by Marion County Superintendent of Education Ann West during its monthly meeting held on Thursday, Feb. 20.
West told the board that January’s sales taxes brought in a total of $168,566.54—an increase of $21,775.26 from January 2019. It is the highest collection for the month of January on record and the highest monthly total of Fiscal Year 2020.

HAMILTON - Marion County Schools has set its 2020-2021 School Year Calendar.
During a Marion County Board of Education meeting on Thursday, Feb. 20, the board voted unanimously to accept a calendar recommended by Marion County Superintendent of Education Ann West.
West said she sent an example calendars out to everyone in the school’s communication system and used the feedback to determine her recommendation.

HAMILTON – A healthy education budget has freed Marion County School officials to seek new sets of bleachers for two schools.
The Marion County Board of Education voted unanimously during its monthly meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 22, to seek bids on new bleachers for both Brilliant High School and Phillips High School gyms.
Marion County Superintendent of Education Ann West told the board that new bleachers were a line item included on a recent heating and air conditioning upgrade for Phillips, which cost $350,000.

HAMILTON – Sales tax for education revenues collected in Marion County was down during December.
According to the Marion County Superintendent of Education Ann West, the education system collected $147,819.93—$8,198.81 less in sales tax last month compared to the previous year.
December 2018’s sales tax collection totaled $155,018.74.
For the first three months of the Fiscal Year 2020, $451,621 has been collected in sales tax. For the same period in 2018, sales tax had generated $445,764.38, meaning Fiscal Year 2020 is still outperforming FY 2019.

HAMILTON – Education sales tax for the first two months of Fiscal Year 2020 have broken records.
According to the Marion County Superintendent of Education Ann West, the county education system collected $10,107 more in sales tax this November compared to last year at this time, with a total of $162,357.70 collected—a new record.
Taxes generated in October also set records, with $142,435.02 being collected.
For the first two months of the Fiscal Year 2020, $304,792.72 has been collected in sales tax.

HAMILTON - A Marion County High School (MCHS) alumnus’ estate has made a donation of $1.7 million for scholarships to Guin students.
Birmingham attorney  Robert Cornelius appeared at the Marion County Board of Education’s monthly meeting on Thursday, Nov. 21, to announce the donation made by the estate of Wayne and Joyce Pyron.
Wayne Pyron attended MCHS where he played football and developed his love for the game and Alabama football.

• Scholarship program established in honor of Wayne, Joyce Pyron

By Scott Johnson
Managing Editor