Photo by Jon Anderson
Barricades surround the area where a vehicle crashed into the cafeteria at Pizitz Middle School in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, on Monday, Aug. 26, 2024. The accident happened the week before on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024, according to the school board attorney.
The Vestavia Hills Board of Education on Monday authorized the emergency repair of an exterior brick wall of the cafeteria at Pizitz Middle School after a vehicle crashed into it on Tuesday of last week.
It was an accident that happened after hours, and no one was hurt, Vestavia Hills schools Superintendent Todd Freeman said. But the repairs could cost more than $100,000, according to a letter from City Attorney Pat Boone to Freeman.
There was significant damage to the dry goods storage area of the cafeteria that required relocation of the dry goods, Freeman said.
School board President Scott Brown commended workers who responded to the accident and how quickly they got the area covered up so operations could proceed the next morning, even though some students were hoping school would be canceled because of the incident.
New school board Amber Terakedis noted some students even wanted school to be canceled districtwide, which drew quite a few laughs at Monday’s school board meeting.
In other business Monday, the school board:
Approved another $18,800 for the football field artificial turf replacement at Vestavia Hills High School, bringing the total cost of the job to $917,794. Freeman said during the course of the job, it was discovered some additional work had to be done to address underground drainage issues.
Approved agreements to allow Lowego Sportswear and Moran’s Rocky Ridge Hardware to sell goods with the logos, symbols and insignias that are trademarks of Vestavia Hills City Schools.
Held a first public hearing to discuss the school district’s proposed 2025 budget. A second hearing is scheduled for noon on Sept. 9. See details about the 2025 budget here.
Approved 16 people to be on the school district’s textbook review committee for science curriculum. They are:
- Sarah Coe, fourth grade teacher at Vestavia Hills Elementary Cahaba Heights
- Alex Oberholtzer, fifth grade teacher at Vestavia Hills Elementary Dolly Ridge
- Lora Meeks, fourth grade teacher at Vestavia Hills Elementary East
- Amanda Ramey, instructional partner at Vestavia Hills Elementary Liberty Park
- Kristin Jones, kindergarten teacher at Vestavia Hills Elementary West
- Amanda Marks, science teacher at Liberty Park Middle School
- Amy Hollar, science teacher at Liberty Park Middle School
- Angie Olvey, science teacher at Pizitz Middle School
- Amanda Pickens, science teacher at Vestavia Hills High School Freshman Campus
- Marla Hines, science teacher at Vestavia Hills High School Freshman Campus
- Wendi O’Kelley, psychology teacher at Vestavia Hills High School
- Jessica Sutherland, science teacher at Vestavia Hills High School
- Bryan Becker, parent at Vestavia Hills Elementary Cahaba Heights
- Laura Lee Charles, parent at Vestavia Hills Elementary East
- Grant Briggs, parent at Liberty Park Middle School
- Aimee Farrar, parent at Pizitz Middle School
