By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

The Alabaster Board of Education moved one step closer to creating its first school system website during a special-called Dec. 20 meeting at the Alabaster Senior Center.

During the meeting, Alabaster BOE Coordinator of Administrative Services Dr. Phillip Hammonds announced the board was preparing to issue a request for proposals for companies interested in temporarily helping the district build and maintain its first website. Currently, the board uses the city’s website to distribute information.

“We need a web identity. It’s time to start putting that together,” Hammonds said.

Hammonds said a few companies have already expressed interest in helping the school board build its website. During a Dec. 10 school board meeting, a few Alabaster parents encouraged the BOE to build a website or set up a frequently asked questions section on the city website to help distribute information about meetings and other school board matters.

School Board member Linda Church said she would like interested companies to provide documented experience in developing and maintaining a website, and said the website will help the upcoming Alabaster School System shape its image.

“This is something that is going to represent us,” Church said. “People who have never been to a board meeting can look at this.”

In other business, the BOE approved job descriptions for the system’s coordinator of curriculum and instruction and its coordinator of exceptional education. Hammonds said the two job descriptions would be sent to the Alabama Board of Education on Dec. 21 so the job openings could be posted as soon as possible.

Salaries for the two jobs will range from $85,611-$101,940, Hammonds said.

After advertising the jobs over the next several weeks, Hammonds said he would like to present recommendations for the two positions in early February. The Alabaster School Board also likely will hire its chief school financial officer in January.

School Board members previously said they are working to finalize the city’s split from the Shelby County School System by the start of the 2013-2014 school year.