Winfield City Schools

City, county schools form partnership

Students talk to a rescue helicopter crew as part of the Emergency Fire Management program.

WINFIELD — Winfield City Schools are partnering with Marion County Schools to allow students from Brilliant and Marion County high schools to attend career tech classes on Winfield’s campus.
Students will travel to the high school for two periods during the day, and then travel back to their school. These classes are currently meeting at the high school, but will be moved to the new facility located in the old SITEL building once it is fully completed and approved for use.

Students will eat for free

MARION COUNTY — Students in the Winfield city and Marion County school systems will eat for free this upcoming school year through the Community Eligibility Program.
CEP was created under the 2010 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which was intended to allocate federal funds to help feed students in lower-income areas of the country.
CEP allows for schools in areas with high poverty rates to offer free meals to all students, without any students having to apply to receive the free meals.

Bowen reappointed to city school board

Tommy Bowen is reappointed to the Winfield City School Board of Education.

WINFIELD — The Winfield City Council voted 3-1 in favor of reappointing Tommy Bowen to the Winfield City Board of Education during its regular meeting on Tuesday, April 4, as recommended by the school board.
“Mr. Thomley and the entire board recommended to the mayor and city council to reappoint Tommy for another term,” Board of Education Chairman James Garner said. “Tommy has proven to be a valuable asset for our school system and has always put our students’ needs first.

Winfield Schools placed on lockdown

Winfield school board member Chris Carothers (left) and school board chairman James Garner (middle) stand by the fence at the elementary school during the lockdown to explain the situation to parents arriving for a school event, all while Winfield police officer Shane Dickinson (right) stands guard with his rifle.

WINFIELD — Winfield City Schools were all placed on lockdown on Valentine’s Day, Tuesday, Feb. 14, after receiving a threat over the phone.
Officers from the Winfield City Police Department, as well as the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and others responded to each school around 11:30 that morning after the threat was received.
Parents who arrived at the elementary school for a scheduled event were either left standing in the parking lot or stuck in the elementary school’s auditorium during the lockdown.

Winfield City Schools accept $1 million SITEL renovation bid

K&A Construction of Tuscaloosa wins $1 million bid for renovating the old SITEL building for the Winfield City Board of Education.

By Luke Brantley
Staff writer
WINFIELD — The Winfield City Board of Education voted to approve a $1,025,400 bid from K&A Construction out of Tuscaloosa to renovate the old SITEL building.
The new renovations will convert the old office space into a new board office, along with several classroom spaces for new career tech programs the school is planning to introduce, such as health sciences, cosmetology and public law and safety.

City, schools partner to hire police officers

Winfield Police Chief Brett Burleson prefers police officers to be at schools.

By Luke Brantley
Staff writer
WINFIELD — The Winfield City Council, police department and the board of education have partnered to hire two new police officers to better protect students in light of recent tragedies, such as the Uvalde school shooting.
According to Police Chief Brett Burleson, the new officers will not be dedicated school resource officers but will be regular police officers. The addition of the new officers will allow Winfield Police to have an officer rotate between each school throughout the day.

Winfield City Schools plan policy change

Winfield City Schools Superintendent Randy Thomley is re-examining policies with board members.

By Luke Brantley
Staff writer
WINFIELD — The Winfield City School Board is planning on making changes to school policy in regards to the dress code and other areas.
The idea of making changes entered discussion during the school board’s regular meeting on Thursday, Feb. 10.
School board attorney Todd Atkinson said the board needed to update  the dress code to fit modern society.

Winfield City Schools receives high marks

By LOUIS MELLINI
Staff Writer

WINFIELD - Winfield City Schools has placed 16th on a list of the top 22 schools in the State of Alabama on ranking website Niche
The rankings are based on reviews submitted by students and parents along with data from the U.S. Department of Education, including test scores, college readiness, graduation rates, SAT/ACT scores, teacher quality, and public school district ratings.

‘We’re tired of it’

Winfield City Schools Superintendent of Education Randy Thomley, Winfield Police Chief Brett Burleson and Mayor Randy Price spoke to parents concerning the recent outbreak of vaping in the school system. School faculty and Winfield Police Officers are eager to fond a solution to ending vaping in schools. [Luke Brantley/staff]

WINFIELD — Interim superintendent Randy Thomley, joined by police chief Brett Burleson and the principals of the middle and high school, spoke to parents at a meeting on Thursday night, Oct. 7, to discuss the growing issue of students using vape products in school.
Thomley announced that the school system will now be partnering with the Winfield Police Department, since it is illegal in the state of Alabama for minors to purchase, use or posess e-cigarettes.