Shelby County Schools

Every year Shelby County Schools is fortunate to partner with local Law Enforcement and Compact to host Camp Journey at different campuses throughout our system. The camp is geared towards rising 6th graders where students are provided hands-on instruction about local law enforcement practices while building character and leadership skills. The first camp kicked off at Helena Middle School this year.

Earlier this week, SCISC hosted the Dually Served Student Summit - a day of Professional Development that focused on the collaboration and coordination of services for students that are English Learners with IEPs. It was a great time of learning and solidified partnerships across our county in a joint effort to better serve our students 🌎 #DoGreatThings #EmpoweringAndInspiringExcellence

Jan Curtis will serve as Coordinator of Instruction for Shelby County Schools. Mrs. Curtis has over 25 years of experience in education and currently serves as the Principal at Oak Mountain Elementary School.

Ashli Polizos will serve as Principal at Oak Mountain Middle School. Mrs. Polizos is a National Board Certified teacher with 19 years of experience in education. Most recently, she served as an assistant principal at Oak Mountain Middle School.

Dr. Ken Thornbrough will serve as Principal of Shelby County High School. Dr. Thornbrough is in his 23rd year in education and is currently serving as an Assistant Principal at Chelsea Middle School.

Bethany Aultman will serve as Assistant Principal at Shelby County High School. Mrs. Aultman is beginning her tenth year in education and currently serves as Special Education Program Area Specialist.

Congratulations to Rick Vines, who was named Supervisor of the Year and Wanda Adams who won Secretary of the Year from the Alabama School Transportstion Association tonight. ASTA took nominations and the ALSDE transportation department voted for the winners.

Discover and apply for job opportunities with Shelby County Schools! We would love to have you be part of the SCS family!

Yesterday, Shelby County Schools hosted the Journey Transition Conference - a conference designed for students, parents, and teachers of middle and high school students with a 504 plan or an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Families and educators were guided through the essential steps of preparing students for life beyond high school, with a focus on functional life skills, career exploration, and the transition to college. #DoGreatThings #EmpoweringAndInspiringExcellence

Congratulations to the following school counselors selected by their school-counseling peers as the 2024-25 Shelby County School Counselors of the Year. Surprise visits were made to each school to present these awards and provide celebratory time with their school families. Elementary Counselor of the Year: Jamie Ruth Hitch - Oak Mountain Elementary School, Middle School Counselor of the Year: DeAsia McNeal - Helena Middle School, High School Counselor of the Year: Jordan Robbins - Vincent Middle High School.

Thanks to all of our students and staff who participated in #SCSBeSeenInGreen today to recognize May as Mental Health Awareness Month!

Shelby County Schools is thrilled to recognize our outstanding First Year Teachers of the Year! Lilly Mathis, a second-grade teacher from Oak Mountain Elementary, and Allison Middendorf, a sixth-grade teacher from Helena Middle School, were honored at the Board of Education Meeting on May 15. Allison and Lily, thank you for making such a positive impact on our students from day one! We are so proud to have you in the Shelby County Schools family! 🍎

Ready to embark on a rewarding career journey? Shelby County Schools is inviting passionate individuals to explore exciting opportunities! Visit our new application platform and take the first step towards making a real difference in the lives of students. Apply today and become a valued member of our dedicated team! ➡️ Click here to explore: bit.ly/scjourneywithus

Today, celebrate our school communicators in Shelby County Schools, Cindy Warner, APR, and Cole Pevey for National School Communicators Day! 📣 From sharing important updates to highlighting student and staff achievements and fostering community connections, their work is vital to our success. Thank you for being the voice of SCS! Also, congratulations to Cindy Warner for recently being named one of the four finalists for the National School Public Relations Association's National Communicator of the Year award, which will be announced in July.

Today, we take a moment to shower our incredible school nurses with appreciation on National School Nurse Appreciation Day! 🎉 More than just administering bandages and ice packs, our school nurses are the heart of health and well-being in our schools. They are the compassionate caregivers who provide vital medical care and support to our students and staff. They work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure a safe and healthy learning environment for everyone. From managing complex medical conditions to offering a comforting presence, our nurses go above and beyond every single day. Their dedication, expertise, and caring spirit make a profound difference in the lives of our students, allowing them to thrive both academically and personally. To all our phenomenal Shelby County School Nurses: Thank you for your unwavering commitment, your endless compassion, and the countless ways you support our students and schools. We are deeply grateful for all that you do! ❤️

May is Mental Health Awareness Month! As a school system dedicated to the holistic development of every student, we proudly recognize and support Mental Health Awareness Month. We believe that mental health is just as vital as physical health and plays a critical role in the academic success, emotional well-being, and overall development of our students, educators, and staff. Together, we can cultivate a culture of care, break down barriers to mental health services, and ensure that every member of our school community feels seen, heard, and supported.

🍎 We extend our deepest gratitude to the incredible educators of Shelby County Schools for Teacher Appreciation Week! Your dedication, passion, and unwavering commitment to our students make a world of difference every single day!

We couldn't let the school year come to a close without thanking our outstanding administrators for all they do! Principals, your vision shapes our schools, empowers our educators, and inspires our students to reach their full potential. Thank you for your tireless efforts and the positive impact you make every single day.

Congratulations to Montevallo Elementary School who was recently named a CLAS Banner School for State School Board District 3. CLAS recognized thirty-two Schools of Distinction across the eight State School Board Districts and announced the eight overall winners of the 2024 CLAS Banner Schools award on Monday, May 5, 2025, during a luncheon in Prattville. The CLAS Banner School program was created in 2001 to recognize schools in Alabama that showcase outstanding programs and service to students. Each school was nominated for this award by their superintendent. A total of 234 schools were nominated statewide.

Shelby County Schools honored the outstanding contributions of its dedicated support staff at the 16th Annual Support Personnel of the Year awards reception. Kathryn Wright, a paraprofessional from Calera Intermediate School, was named the Overall Support Person of the Year. Also honored were the other top category winners, which included: Whitney Warren - Oak Mountain Elementary - Accounting Category Cecil Martin - Inverness Elementary - Custodial Category Tear Lee - Calera Elementary - Food Services Category Nick Wells - Shelby County High School - Maintenance Category Laura Blackburn - Mt Laurel Elementary - Nursing Category Penny Walker - Calera Middle - Secretarial Sasha Johns - Shelby Elementary - Transportation School and district building winners who were honored were: Deanna Brooks - Calera High, Floyd Lilly - Career Technical Educational Center, Robyn Armstrong - Central Office, Kayla Yarbrough - Chelsea Park Elementary, Kimberly Traylor - Chelsea Middle, Tiffney Sanders - Chelsea High, Rachel Robertson - Columbiana Middle, Reanna Harris - Elvin Hill Elementary, Jennifer House - Forest Oaks Elementary, Shaun Knight - Helena Elementary, Natalie Wallace - Helena Intermediate, Rhonda Fikes - Helena Middle, Lisa Parker - Helena High, Shamar Smiley - Linda Nolen Learning Center, Maria Fletcher - Montevallo Elementary, Timothy Warren - Montevallo Middle, Kristie Domovic - New Direction/Success Monica Contreras Zapata - Oak Mountain Intermediate, Amanda Garcia - Oak Mountain Middle; Amanda DeVaugh - Oak Mountain High, Mike Whitfield - Shelby County Instructional Services Center, Britney Reid - Shelby Elementary, Cynthia Baird - Vincent Elementary, Shanell Cook, Vincent Middle High School, and Connie Davis - Wilsonville Elementary.