By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

Dr. Phillip Hammonds was named as the Alabaster School Board’s interim superintendent during a special-called Dec. 31 meeting.

During the meeting, the School Board voted to hire Hammonds as the system’s interim superintendent for the next six months. Hammonds’ term as the interim superintendent began on Jan. 1.

Before he was named the interim superintendent, Hammonds, who recently retired as the Jefferson County School System’s superintendent, served part-time as the Alabaster BOE’s coordinator of administrative services.

“(Alabaster) needed someone on a full-time basis. I was available and I am looking forward to being of any service I can,” Hammonds said. “There are a lot of things that need to be done on a full-time basis.”

Although Hammonds was appointed to a six-month term as interim superintendent, the School Board members included a provision with the option to extend Hammonds’ term after June 30, said BOE member Adam Moseley.

Hammonds said he will focus on serving during the next six months, and will leave it up to the board to decide if he is hired as the full-time superintendent after June 30.

“I think a lot of people will be interested in serving as superintendent, so that is a decision that will be made by the board in the future,” Hammonds said.

As interim superintendent, Hammonds, who now has a temporary office at the Alabaster Parks and Recreation Depot, will help formulate school district job descriptions, negotiate the separation from the Shelby County School District and other tasks necessary to help Alabaster form its own school system.

Moseley said Hammonds’ involvement with the Alabaster School Board makes him “very confident,” and said “It is a good sign for everybody.”

“Things are going to start to really take off now,” Moseley said.

Alabaster School Board members previously said they are working to finalize the city’s split from the Shelby County School District before the 2013-2014 school year begins.