Madison City board recognizes middle-school champions and award-winning special-education staff; multiple retirees honored

The Madison City Board of Education used its March 7 meeting to honor student and staff achievements and to recognize long-serving employees who plan to retire.

Coach Burks and the Discovery Middle School girls basketball team were recognized for their 11-7 season and tournament wins that produced a Madison County championship. Coach Burks introduced players by name and singled out Scarlett Abbott as the team MVP with 161 rebounds and 62 steals; Ari Richardson was noted as the team's leading scorer with 149 points and 54 made free throws. Board members and staff invited the team forward for photos and applause.

Dr. Susan Zino introduced two special-education staff honored at the state level. Dr. Ashley Bat Rowden was recognized as the 2023 Alabama School Psychologist of the Year; the award was accepted on her behalf at the state conference because she was recently on parental leave after the birth of her son. Kim Dykes, introduced as Madison City's lead speech-language pathologist, was named a 2024 AAC Professional of the Year for her work building an augmentative and alternative communication program. Dykes thanked Dr. Zino, district administrators and the technology department for partnering to get communication devices into students' hands.

The board also read a list of upcoming retirements and recognized long tenures among staff: Jennifer Chandler (29 years), Mara Jenkins (25 years), Michelle Phillips (33 years), Allison Word (30 years) and others were named and thanked for their service. Dr. Nichols and board members noted the impact of experienced teachers on students and future educators.

There were no public comments at the meeting; the board moved from presentations into action items after the recognitions.