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By TYLER RALEY | Staff Writer

HELENA – With the school year preparing to close out, the city of Helena invited its local teachers and administrators to Helena City Hall to receive their approved teacher’s assistance grants.

The grants, which were presented during a regularly scheduled Helena City Council meeting on Monday, April 28, go towards certain desires that teachers at Helena’s local schools request funding for.

Helena’s TAG Grant Committee provides two opportunities each academic year for teachers to earn the funding for the various requests they put in, whether it be for classroom supplies or learning assets that will be used with their students.

This year marked the first year that the TAG board has had input on what teachers get the funding.

Helena City Council member and council liaison to TAG Grant Committee Andy Healy expressed his enjoyment for the process, and as a former member of the committee, understands the decision-making on a personal level.

“As the liaison for the TAG Grant (Committee), I truly enjoy sitting there, listening to this board come up with the decision on how to spend the money and what you teachers ask for is amazing,” Healy said. “I’m glad we were in a position to be able to help (the teachers) get these supplies and items that you need.”

In total, the committee awarded 34 grants amounting to $60,243.12 to teachers from the various schools in Helena and other schools in Jefferson County that students in Helena attend.

The following is a breakdown of the teachers who received TAG grants:

Helena Elementary School

• HES, Shannon Shuford, special education
• HES, Demi Ruble, second grade
• HES, Laken Roper, kindergarten 
• HES, Patrick Riley, kindergarten
• HES, Michelle Ocampo, counselor
• HES, Kimberly McCown, kindergarten
• HES, April Maner, assistant principal
• HES, Holly Laney, principal
• HES, Emily Hayes, speech
• HES, Hayleigh Hamilton, teacher
• HES, Ashley Belew, physical education

Helena Intermediate School

• HIS, Lauren Sims, fifth grade
• HIS, Melynda Parker, fifth grade
• HIS, Ashleigh Marshall, special education
• HIS, Sarah Hopper, fifth grade
• HIS, Shelby Formentano, fourth grade
• HIS, Emily Fields, fifth grade
• HIS, Amanda Clowers, special education
• HIS, Sasha Baker, principal

Helena Middle School

• HMS, Allyson Clements, Shelly Burkhalter, Stacy Moseley, math teachers
• HMS, Amy Goodlin, eighth grade science teacher
• HMS, Latasha McMillan, principal
• HMS, Christine Hoffman, eighth grade math teacher
• HMS, Rachel Washington, special education

Helena High School

• HHS, Michelle Wilson, library media specialist
• HHS, Cassie Screws, English teacher
• HHS, Joel Morris, English teacher
• HHS, Jessica Howland, math teacher
• HHS, Wallace Dupuis, math teacher
• HHS, Emily Channell, science teacher
• HHS, Adam Bice, science teacher
• HHS, Ashley Bahr, principal 

In other news, the council unanimously voted to approve a bid to Massey Asphalt Paving for paving a right turn lane on County Road 17 at County Road 58, which is being funded by a grant from the Rebuild Alabama Act.