By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

Because it only represents one city, many think the Alabaster City School System is one of the smallest in the state.

“We are anything but small,” Alabaster School Superintendent Dr. Wayne Vickers said during an Oct. 16 Alabaster School Board meeting. “We are a very good, mid-size school system.”

ACS recently finalized its first average daily attendance count, which calculates the average number of students who attended classes during the 20 school days after Labor Day.

During the Oct. 16 meeting, Vickers said the count came in at 6,134 students in the upstart city school system, putting the system’s student enrollment number near the middle of the state’s school systems.

“What does that number mean? It means dollars,” Vickers said. “Our state funds are based on (the average attendance for) the 20 days after Labor Day.

“I think that number says a lot about our schools, and I think we’ve even grown a little bit since those first 20 days,” Vickers added. “(Oct. 25) ends our first nine weeks as a school system. I think that’s something to be proud of as a city and as an Alabaster School System.”

During the meeting, the School Board approved several contracted positions and ACS district positions to help fill the district’s needs.

The School Board approved contracted services for a sign language interpreter, a special education teacher and a speech therapist, and approved the hiring of an ACS federal programs specialist, a child nutrition program bookkeeper, a computer technician and a graduation coach.

“We need this personnel to ensure we are successful,” Vickers said.