• Helpful Information

    This page is designed to support and guide our staff members through essential processes and procedures. Here, you'll find detailed information about various aspects of your professional responsibilities, including certification requirements, contract schedules, payroll cut-off dates, fundraising guidelines, and procedures for managing instructional funds, inventory, purchase orders, and more. Please take time to familiarize yourself with these guidelines to maintain compliance and streamline your workflow. Explore each section to stay informed and make the most of the resources available to you.

    • Certifications
    • Contract Schedules and Payroll Cut-Off Dates
    • Fundraisers
    • Independent Contractors
    • Instructional Funds
    • Inventory
    • On the Job Injuries
    • Overtime
    • Professional Development
    • Purchase Orders
    • Receipting Money
    • Technology Purchasing Guide
    • TimeClock Plus
    • What if I am absent?

    Certifications

    All certification questions should be directed to human resources. All ACS certified staff are eligible for the online certificate renewal process. Educators with expiring certificates will be notified via email in February of their renewal year, and a certificate renewal checklist will be assigned in PowerSchool records. It will contain the supplement CIT form (citizen verification) and a copy of your driver's license will need to be attached. All renewals must be completed by May 31 each year. Certificates are valid for five years and expire June 30 of the fifth year. 

    In order to renew a Professional Educator Certificate, one of the following requirements must be met:

    • Three years of full-time educational experience and 50 clock hours of acceptable professional development.
    • Three years of full-time educational experience and three semester hours of acceptable credit.
    • 50 clock hours of acceptable professional development and three semester hours of acceptable credit.
    • Six semester hours of acceptable credit.
    • Certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) earned during the valid period of the Professional Educator Certificate that is currently held.

    In order to renew a Professional Leadership Certificate, one of the following requirements must be met:

    • Five ACLD-approved PLUs.
    • Four ACLD-approved PLUs and one locally approved PLU.
    • Three ACLD-approved PLUs and two locally approved PLUs.
    • Two ACLD-approved PLUs and three locally approved PLUs.

    Contract Schedules and Payroll Cut-Off Dates

    The dates for payroll cutoff and contract schedules can be found under payroll forms here.

    Fundraisers

    Anytime money is collected or items are sold, it is considered a fundraiser. Fundraisers must be board approved prior to the start of the fundraiser. Additional information for fundraising requirements can be found in our board policies. A Fundraiser Request Form can be found in Etrieve. All documents related to the fundraiser should be attached. Fundraiser forms are due by noon each Wednesday prior to the monthly board meeting. 

    All funds raised must be turned in daily to the bookkeeper or deposited into the night depository if received after school hours. At the close of the fundraiser, revenue reports will be turned in to the Central Office 30 days after the fundraiser's completion. You can verify your fundraiser has been approved by checking the board meetings on our website.

    Crowdfunding

    Asking a large group of people usually through social media to donate monetary funds or items to a group or classroom is known as crowdfunding. Allowable crowdfunding board approved platforms include the following:

    • For tangible items, Donors Choose. A Request for Crowdfunding Form is required.
    • For monetary donations, E-Funds or Vertical Raise. A Fundraising Request Form is required.

    Platforms not allowed include GoFundMe, Facebook requests for funds, games, books, gifts, etc., Scholastic book campaigns, Amazon campaigns, Venmo, CashApp, Paypal, Apple Pay, etc. This also includes all other sites where money or items are requested that are not approved by the board. ACS employees must remove the request from any unapproved platforms. 

    E-Funds

    • A fundraiser request must be completed and approved by the board prior to the beginning of the fundraiser.
    • A link will be sent to the sponsor.
    • The sponsor can share the link on social media.
    • The link is also posted on the website. 
    • If someone wants to donate cash or a check, the funds must be turned into the bookkeeper. 
    • Donated money less the 3.6-percent will be deposited into the school's bank account within three business days of the donation. 

    Donors Choose

    • Donors Choose is the only crowdfunding option for receiving any tangible supplies needed for the classroom.
    • Any items received from Donors Choose is the property of ACS.
    • The principal must be aware and approve the Crowdfunding Request Form prior to the application.
    • The items requested through Donors Choose must be used strictly as described in the project request. 

    Vertical Raise

    • A Fundraiser Request Form must be completed and approved by the board prior to the beginning of the fundraiser.
    • Parents will collect emails from individuals.
    • If someone wants to donate cash or a check, the funds must be turned into the bookkeeper. Do not upload checks to the Vertical Raise Platform.
    • At the end of the fundraiser, which is typically three weeks, a check of 80-percent of what was raised will be mailed to the school. 

    Independent Contractors

    A self-employed person or entity contracted to perform work or services to the district as a non-employee is considered an independent contractor. An independent contractor must be approved by the board prior to the work or service being performed. An Independent Contract Form must be completed and a W-9 must be turned in to the district office before the due date. The W-9 must contain the independent contractor's legal name and EIN or SSN. Proof of legal name may be required. 

    Instructional Funds

    Instructional funds are decided by the Alabama Legislature each year. Funds can only be used on items directly related to teacher and student interactions. Any items bought with instructional funds become the property of Albertville City Schools. 

    Examples of allowable items include classroom instructional items, student seating/task chairs, bulletin board supplies, classroom technology items, printers and ink for the classroom, rugs for instructional purposes, instructional/classroom lighting, books for the classroom, puzzles, games, student craft supplies, food for instructional purposes (must include a lesson plan), and supplies such as pens, markers, crayons, dry-erase markers, erasers, board cleaner, scissors, rulers, binders, folders, copy paper, construction paper and cardstock. 

    Examples of items not allowed include masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, PPE, cleaning supplies, air fresheners, trash cans, teacher desk chairs, personal badge reels/holders, non-instructional rugs, gifts for kids (holiday and end of year), Roku, FireStick, ChromeCast, brooms, mops, vacuums, ladders, hand trucks, lockboxes, personal safes, first aid supplies, apps or software unless pre-approved by IT, Teachers Pay Teachers, picture frames, and food for class parties. 

    ClassWallet

    Instructional funds will be expended through ClassWallet. Each teacher will have a ClassWallet account that will display and track their instructional fund balance.

    • All items will need approval by the district before purchase to ensure funds are used appropriately. Technology items will need approval from IT. 
    • If the items are approved, the order will be placed and shipped to the school.
    • Do not place orders the week before or during an extended break (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Spring Break) as no one will be available to accept packages during this time.

    When you purchase through Amazon, in the box under reference order number, please type your name. In the box located under order notes, please include a description of how the items will be used. 

    Inventory

    Inventory items meet at least one of the following criteria:

    • Purchase price exceeds $500.00.
    • Useful life is greater than one year.
    • Required to be tracked for state or regulatory purposes.
    • Deemed a "high risk" item that can be easily transported or stolen (iPads, iPods, cameras, TVs, etc.)

    If an item meets this standard, it must be tagged with a barcode label, and the location will be tracked in the school's accounting system. Donated items are treated the same as purchased items.

    Forms

    • Change of Location Forms should be completed when the teacher is transferring to another school or the teacher is no longer using the item and/or the item is going to another teacher.
    • Deletion Forms should be completed when an item is stolen, damaged or disposed of (board approval required). Forms are due by 4 p.m. each Tuesday prior to the monthly board meeting.
    • Property Removal Forms should be completed when an inventory item is taken off school campus.
    • New Purchase Forms will be completed by the local school inventory designee when purchases or donations are made at the local level.

    Deleting Inventory

    • No item should be removed or disposed of prior to the board approval. This includes both inventory and non-inventory items.
    • A Deletion Form must be completed in Etrieve.
    • Items must be approved by the board before items are removed from a location.
    • Once approved by the board, technology picks up recycling. Other items can be discarded in the trash. If you have large items, please contact your principal for help with disposing them.

    GovDeals

    GovDeals is a platform used to sell items to the public. A letter must be submitted to the Central Office from the principal requesting items to be removed from inventory and placed for bid on GovDeals. Once the item has been approved by the board, it will be placed on GovDeals. Typically, the item auction period will be 7-10 days. The fund used to purchase the items will receive the proceeds of the sale. If the items do not sell, the items can be discarded or recycled at that time.

    Missing or Damaged Items

    If items are missing or damaged, you must notify your local school designee and principal immediately. The local school designee will contact the Central Office to begin the process of attempting to locate the missing or damaged item. If the item is not located within a few days, further action will be taken to determine the next step. If an item is stolen, a police report must be filed immediately. 

    On the Job Injury

    On the job injury leave is found in our board policy manual. An accident report must be completed within 24 hours of the accident, regardless of injury. You must contract your principal or supervisor when an accident happens. You must be seen by a doctor the day of the accident if you feel like you have injuries.

    Overtime

    Fair Labor Standards Act

    Anytime an hourly employee is on campus, they should be clocked in using the ACS TCP timeclock. ACS follows Department of Labor (DOL) guidelines and does not allow working off the clock in any situation. Employees are not allowed to submit override forms in order to reduce hours to avoid overtime.

    Support Staff Overtime

    Overtime must be pre-approved by the employee's supervisor. Support staff must clock in and out each day. Overtime is paid at 1.5 rate per hour after 40 working hours in a week.

    Professional Development 

    Professional development (PD) forms can be found in Etrieve under payroll forms. PD must be approved prior to the trip. Employees are responsible for checking their Etrieve inbox to verify the form was completed. Please verify the "reimbursement needed" section is checked correctly on the form. Once the form has been approved, the bookkepper will enter the absence in TCP. The employee must enter the absence in Spur, not TCP. An agenda or registration form must be attached to the request. 

    When do I complete a professional development form? 

    • If any reimbursement is needed.
    • If you are absent from your job due to a meeting or due to an extracurricular event that you are required to attend.

    The PD form must still be completed during summer break.

    Reimbursement

    • All professional development forms must be approved by your supervisor prior to attending the professional development.
    • Agendas must be attached to the reimbursement request. If no agenda was provided, please attach any documentation including time, date and place. 
    • All reimbursable expenses are due seven calendar days after the end of the professional development.
    • Receipts are not required for meals and mileage reimbursement. 
    • Receipts are required for out-of-pocket expenses for hotels, parking, etc. 
    • If a professional development form is not completed, no expenses will be reimbursed. 

    Purchase Orders

    Local School Purchase Order

    1. A requisition is obtained from the local school bookkeeper by the requestor. The form must be completed in detail with a reasonable estimated amount.
    2. The local school bookkeeper will check funds for availability. If funds are not available, the requisition is returned to the requestor, denying the purchase order.
    3. If funds are available and items meet guidelines, the local school bookkeeper will give the requisition to the principal for approval.
    4. The local school bookkeeper will then assign the purchase order number to the requisition and give it to the requestor.
    5. The requestor is responsible for ordering the items. No orders should be placed without approval and a purchase order number. No back orders will be allowed on any purchase order.
    6. Once the items have been ordered and received, the requestor will notify the local school bookkeeper. If the requestor receives any invoices, receipts or packing lists associated with the purchase order, he or she will turn those in to the local school bookkeeper for payment.
    7. The invoices will be paid once the local school bookkeeper has verified all items and invoices have been received. The purchase order is considered complete when all invoices have been paid. 

    Central Office Purchase Order

    1. District purchase orders are obtained through Etrieve.
    2. A purchase order form must be completed and sent to the approving supervisor. No orders should be placed without approval and a purchase order number.
    3. Once the request is approved by the administrator, the purchase order will be sent back to the requestor's Etrieve inbox with a purchase order number.
    4. The requestor will order the items with the purchase order number. No back orders are allowed. If items are unavailable, then those items must be reordered when available with a new purchase order number.
    5. Once the items have been received, the requestor will electronically sign and date the purchase order in the "received by" section and click "approve."
    6. The invoices will be paid once accounts payable has verified that all items and invoices have been received. The purchase order is considered complete when all invoices have been paid. 

    Receipting Money

    • The bookkeeper will send you a school-specific link.
    • Never hold money in your classroom overnight.
    • Never receipt yourself.
    • Turn in money, reports and Activity Verification Form by your school's cutoff time. The Activity Verification Form must be signed and dated when turned in. 

    Technology Purchasing Guide

    Please use this website to view guidance for purchasing IT resources.

    These items must be pre-approved for purchase by IT:

    • PCs, desktops, laptops, tablets, mobile computing
    • Servers (including network attached storage devices)
    • Software (included bundled with hardware)
    • Biometric devices (external)
    • Security cameras
    • IoT devices (thermal sensors or any device that talks in the wired or wireless)
    • Scanners
    • Copiers

    TimeClock Plus

    Clocking In

    All employees must clock in when reporting to work. Support staff must clock in and out daily. No work should be done off the clock. Employees must clock themselves in using TimeClock Plus (TCP). Others cannot do this for you.

    Time should be approved weekly but no later than the monthly payroll due date. To approve: log into TCP, click view hours, ensure the time punch is accurate, and click the checkbox to approve. If your time is not correct, do not approve.

    If there is an error with your time, a Time Clock Override form must be completed within two working days of the error. The form can be found in Etrieve under Payroll Forms. 

    Leave

    All leave should be entered in a timely manner. Sick, vacation, personal, jury duty and unpaid days are entered through TCP, excluding professional development. If you are requesting jury duty, a certificate must be turned in to the bookkeeper. To request leave:

    • Login on to TCP. 
    • Click "Requests" on the taskbar. 
    • Select the day your leave should begin. 
    • Requests automatically default to half days. Enter the necessary information, making sure to select either a full day or half day on the left under templates. If taking a half day, select 8 a.m. or 11 a.m.

    Leave requests can be edited while in pending status. Once an absence is approved in TCP, any changes must be requested through email to the principal and bookkeeper. 

    What if I am absent?

    • Notify your principal or supervisor first.
    • Ongoing workers and substitutes are staffed through Spur Staffing. In order to request a substitute, absences must be entered in Spur. Employees should enter the absence into Spur, even if no sub is needed. 
    • Enter absence in TCP if sick, personal, jury duty, vacation or unpaid.
    • If this is for professional development, a PD form must be completed and approved in Etrieve.

    Pursuant to board policy, employees who are absent from work due to surgery, contagious disease or illness serious enough for extended physician's care must present a release from their physician upon return to the job. 

    A release from your doctor must be presented to the human resources department prior to returning to work for the following circumstances:

    • An emergency room visit.
    • Hospitalization, regardless of the number of days absent.
    • Day surgery or outpatient surgery.
    • Return from a medical leave. 

    Medical Leave of Absence

    Employees must contact HR if they will be absent for more than 10 consecutive days. Pursuant to board policy, an employee who is absent more than 10 consecutive days due to a medical reason must apply for a medical leave of absence on the ACS Leave of Absence Request Form and attach the required ACS-CHCP form in order to protect their employment rights. Any employee who has been absent from work for more than 10 consecutive days who has not obtained an approved leave or otherwise accounted for the absences, may be considered to have abandoned their job. The employee may be recommended for termination.