The Crenshaw County Board of Education addressed several issues with board policy and made a number of personnel moves in the last meeting of 2011.

In a previous meeting, Superintendent Randy Wilkes had suggested that the board bring in an outside consultant to revise board policy.

“We need to consider a revision, in my opinion,” Wilkes said last month. “There are several categories and some language that needs to be brought up to date. A lot of things have changed since 1975, even though a majority of policies are probably dated 1996.”

The board approved contracting with Dr. John Osburn, who has worked with a number of other school boards across the state, such as Covington County, to revise their policy manual.

Osburn is expected to start the process during January, and the cost will be around $10,000.

The board also approved a purchasing card service agreement with Regions Bank.

Wilkes said that the card works similarly to a credit card except the system earns a 3 percent return on items purchased.

“CDs aren’t getting that right now,” said Wilkes. “To purchase a lot of things over the internet, they don’t take a purchase order unless you fill out a long application. This is just something that’s got to be closely monitored.”

Wilkes said that he would have one card and Chief Financial Officer Ken Wesley would have the other.

“Nothing that’s not approved would be purchased,” said Wilkes.

Regions Bank was chosen because no local banks offer the service.

In other business, the board reinstated the perfect attendance policy for teachers retroactive for the last two semesters.

The policy allows teachers to earn $125 per semester for perfect attendance.

“The principals have been asking for something, and this would cost less than $5,000 per semester,” Wilkes said.

The vote passed with Dr. Charles Tompkins abstaining.

Among the personnel moves, the board released former Central Office clerk Shannon Odom to accept a position as the Chief Financial Officer in Coffee County.

Nutrition specialist Ruth Bayman was tranferred to the position of accounts payable clerk, and Wilkes said there is no intent to replace her position at the Central Office.