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By EMILY SPARACINO | Staff Writer

ALABASTER – The Shelby County Board of Education approved a new administrator at Calera Middle School and recognized the district’s first-year teacher honorees at a regular meeting on Thursday, May 19 at the Shelby County Instructional Services Center.

Marcus Harris was named the new assistant principal at Calera Middle School.

Harris will come to Shelby County Schools from Hoover City Schools, where he was employed as a teacher.

Harris earned a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from Jacksonville State University and a master’s degree in instructional leadership from the University of Montevallo.

He has more than 12 years of experience in education.

“Administration has been a dream of mine for quite some time, and your belief and trust in me will not be taken for granted,” Harris said to the board. “I stand before you, with an amazing support system behind me, and that’s my entire family, especially my wife and daughter.”

Harris said he intends to uphold the district’s model for excellence in education through his actions as a caring leader.

“I intend to focus on every stakeholder and make sure everyone is valued,” Harris said. “I look forward to sharing the story of the great things happening at Calera Middle.”

The board also recognized Wilsonville Elementary School teacher Lauren Vick and Montevallo High School teacher Rylee Holt as the district’s Elementary and Secondary First-Year Teachers of the Year, respectively.

In addition, the board:

• Approved a recommendation to reject the sole bid received for a classroom addition project at Calera High School, as the nearly $7.9 million bid exceeded the district’s $4.7 million budget for the project.

• Approved a small construction project involving a boiler replacement at Helena Elementary School for $42,000.

• Acknowledged that no bids were submitted for a project involving a new video board at the Helena High School football stadium.

• Approved bids for electronic fixture maintenance services and tree cutting services.

• Acknowledged that no bids were submitted for concrete services.