Orange Beach, Ala. – (OBA) – It was a historical day in two ways at the Orange Beach School Board specially called meeting on May 23 in council chambers.

After the hour or so meeting, board attorney Nash Campbell asked the board to sign the final separation agreement papers between the city board and Baldwin County Schools. The split officially takes place on July 1.

“Signing the agreement was really surreal,” Interim Superintendent Dr. Robbie Smith said. “It is hard to believe the amount of work we have accomplished in such a short time. I am thrilled to have a role in building this district for the community of Orange Beach.”

The second history making move included hiring two elementary teachers and a Special Services Coordinator, Kylie Boyd Burleson, essentially the first employees of the new system other than Smith and Interim Chief Schools Financial Officer Ford Handley.

“I am beyond thrilled to be working with Kylie Boyd Burleson,” Smith said. “We are going to build something special for Orange Beach and this is just the beginning.”

Teachers Nikki Loper and Sarah Hartley were hired for Orange Beach Elementary.

The board also heard from Lance Alexander on some IT challenges the school will face getting internet service to the high school, buying computers and getting other equipment and software up and running by July 1.

“I’ve been having almost daily conversations with CSpire because of the compressed timeframe of what we’re looking to be sure that we are ready to go July 1 with phones and internet,” Alexander said.

Completing the build with CSpire before July 1 isn’t likely possible but the company is looking to partner with another provider to get the high school service.

“The game plan that they have right now is that they are going to essentially lease the fiber optic connections from Uniti which is in place already,” Alexander said. “We don’t have enough time to do the fiber build even though the fiber is out on Canal Road.”

The agreement to get the school year started with Uniti also includes CSpire getting the build out finished by the next school year.

“This is with the understanding that they are going to continue with the plans to get their fiber in so that this time next year they will no longer have to lease the fiber from Uniti,” Alexander said. “It will be their fiber in place where we need it and the price will come down.”

Also, during the meeting, the board:

• Agreed to a contract with JJPR for branding services for the new school system.

• Agreed to a contract with Encore Rehabilitation to provide athletic trainers at the middle school and high school.

• Paid $56,000 to vendors for various items with the most expensive being $33,140 to PowerSchool for student information services, $13,600 to FinalSite Internet Technologies for a standard communications package and $6,599 for six Mac Books from Computer Backup for the school board.