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Pleasant Home School was recognized for being the district winner of the Attorney General’s 2019 Safe Schools Award.

“The safety of our schoolchildren is a vital matter foremost in all of our minds and hearts, and this year we have enhanced the Safe Schools Initiative Awards to encourage and honor more of those who have implemented strong programs to protect our students, teachers and other staff,” Attorney General Steve Marshall said.  “These schools have developed innovative programs and taken practical, effective steps to combat the threat of violence that has become a terrible part of our modern society. Their dedication and resolve to provide a safe haven for learning is an inspiration to us all.”

Covington County Schools Superintendent Shannon Driver said that Pleasant Home’s administrators, along with School Resource Officer Joe Schneider have worked hard to make the school safe.

“Deputy Schneider has worked with the staff on preparing safety plans and  training,” he said. “Joe does a good job training on safety. He also trains all of our resource officers in the county. I would like to congratulate everyone at Pleasant Home for this outstanding honor.”

PHS Assistant Principal Amber McKathan said that safety is a top priority at the school.

“We spend a lot of time planning and preparing in the best ways possible for safety incidences at our school,” she said. “Our school resource officer, Sgt. Joe Schneider, serves in a critical role on our team. He reviews our safety plan each school year along with the principal, myself and the school counselor. He ensures all new school employees are familiar with our procedures for safety drills. He works closely with administration to constantly evaluate and revise our plans based on feedback from practicing drills. We are proud to be recognized for our hard work and dedication to keeping our school safe. We are truly blessed as a school and a community to have Sgt. Schneider as our school resource officer.”

On November 26, 2019, a panel of independent judges reviewed submissions from a total of 124 schools from throughout Alabama and selected the following winners.

For the Attorney General’s 2019 Safe Schools Award of Excellence, one public school with the top overall score was selected from the North, Central and South regions of Alabama. Attorney General Marshall will visit each school to present the award in person. The winners are North Region: Decatur Middle School, Decatur; Central Region: Westlawn Middle School, Tuscaloosa; and South Region:  Orange Beach Elementary School, Orange Beach.

For the Attorney General’s 2019 Safe Schools Award, one public school with the top score was selected for each of the eight state public school districts and one private school statewide. The winners are District 1: Pleasant Home School, Andalusia; District 2: Loachapoka High School, Loachapoka; District 3: Shades Mountain Elementary School, Hoover; District 4: Northridge Middle School, Tuscaloosa; District 5; Prattville Junior High School, Prattville; District 6: Austin High School, Decatur; District 7: Forest Hills Elementary, Florence; District 8: Discovery Middle School, Madison; and private school: Lee-Scott Academy, Auburn.  Attorney General Marshall will visit these schools to present the awards in person.

The following schools will receive the Attorney General’s 2019 Certificate of Building a Culture for School Safety:

District 1:

Foley Intermediate School, Foley

Peter F. Alba Middle School, Bayou La Batre

W.J. Carroll Intermediate School, Daphne

District 2:

Creekside Elementary School, Auburn

Opelika High School, Opelika

Opelika Middle School, Opelika

Wrights Mill Road Elementary School, Auburn

District 3:

Chelsea Middle School, Chelsea

Chilton County High School, Clanton

Clanton Elementary School, Clanton

Clanton Intermediate School, Clanton

Clanton Middle School, Clanton

Creek View Elementary School, Alabaster

Jemison Elementary School, Jemison

Jemison High School, Jemison

Jemison Intermediate School, Jemison

Jemison Middle School, Jemison

Mt. Laurel Elementary School, Birmingham

Oak Mountain Middle School, Birmingham

Pelham Oaks Elementary School, Pelham

Pinecrest Elementary School, Sylacauga

R.F. Bumpus Middle School, Hoover

Sylacauga High School, Sylacauga

Thompson High School, Alabaster

Thompson Intermediate School, Alabaster

Trace Crossings Elementary School, Hoover

Verbena High School, Verbena

District 4:

Central High School, Tuscaloosa

The Alberta School of Performing Arts, Tuscaloosa

Woodland Forrest Elementary School, Tuscaloosa

District 6:

Austin Junior High School, Decatur

Austin Middle School, Decatur

Banks-Caddell Elementary School, Decatur

Benjamin Davis Elementary School, Decatur

Chestnut Grove Elementary School, Decatur

Cullman High School, Cullman

Decatur High School, Decatur

Fairview Middle School, Cullman

Frances Nungester Elementary School, Decatur

Hayden High School, Hayden

Moody Middle School, Moody

West Point High School, Cullman

District 7:

Cherokee Elementary School, Cherokee

Cherokee High School, Cherokee

Colbert County High School, Leighton

Colbert Heights Elementary School, Tuscumbia

Deshler High School, Tuscumbia

Russellville Elementary School, Russellville

District 8:

Chaffee Elementary School, Huntsville

Challenger Elementary School, Huntsville

Chapman Elementary School, Huntsville

Chapman Middle School, Huntsville

Columbia High School, Huntsville

Farley Elementary School, Huntsville

Goldsmith Schiffman Elementary School, Owens Cross Roads

Hampton Cove Middle School, Owens Cross Roads

Highlands Elementary School, Huntsville

Huntsville Junior High School, Huntsville

Rainbow Elementary School, Madison

Private:

Coosa Valley Academy, Harpersville

UMS-Wright Preparatory School, Mobile