New board member appointed
By Melinda L. Lucas
Albany ISD’s school board is a complete seven-person unit again after trustees appointed Bo Brown to serve for the rest of Dr. Cory Brown’s term, which will end in May 2023.
Dr. Brown moved out of the district earlier this year and has resigned from his Place 3 seat.
Bo Brown, who grew up in Abilene and attended Wylie High School, was an Abilene police officer for four years before becoming a Texas State Trooper and then a Texas Ranger. He has been a Ranger for approximately 10 years, stationed in Eastland, but also covers Shackelford, Callahan, Stephens, and Eastland counties. He and his wife, the former Amy Neff, moved to Albany in January 2020. Their daughter Avery graduated from Albany High School in 2022, and Brody and Finlee are both students in the local school system.
Brown has actually met with the board in his role as a Ranger to discuss school safety updates and procedures.
Brown was sworn in after his appointment on Monday night.
Dulin Donation
The trustees had met separately at 6:30 p.m. Monday in a Albany ISD Education Foundation meeting to review the Foundation’s financial report, approve a one-time salary payment for AISD employees, and also learn about a donation for scholarships from the estate of the late Buddy and Elizabeth Dulin.
Buddy Dulin was a coach, teacher, and later superintendent at Albany for a number of years.
The amount of the funding has not yet been specified, but will be set aside within the Foundation for scholarships, according to Supt. Jonathan Scott.
Other Business
•Trustees reviewed the ESSER III one-time salary payment to the staff, which they had approved earlier this year.
•Scott also reported an update to the district’s phone system, which became necessary because the current service is ending effective this month. The new service allows a silent panic button app on teachers’ cell phones.
•The trustees accepted a donation from the Albany Education Foundation as part of the consent agenda to use for the one-time salary payment to the staff.
•Several other manuals, updates, and plans were approved by the board during Monday’s meeting, including three that have to do with school safety.
