Shelby County Schools launches Shelby 101 Initiative, applications available online

SHELBY COUNTY, Ala. (WBRC) - Shelby County Schools is launching a new program aimed at connecting with more of you.

Shelby 101 is designed to help you get more engaged with the school district and its programs.

“Join Shelby 101 for an opportunity to learn more about the Shelby County School District, including instruction and administrative services. This free program is designed to engage community members who want to gain a deeper understanding of our district and schools, and who want to become informed advocates to support our district, teachers, and students,” Shelby County Schools said.

A total of 40 participants will be selected for the 2025-2026 School Year Cohort. That group will meet six times during the school year.

You’ll learn about everything from school finances, to child nutrition, to recruitment and retention.

School officials say sessions will be held at various Shelby County Schools’ facilities across the county. Sessions will be from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Lunch will be served at the end of each session.

The sessions will focus on various aspects of the school system, and will be facilitated by Shelby County Schools leaders who work in each of these areas. Topics will include:

• Shelby County Schools Overview, School Finance, and Federal Programs - Sept. 9, 2025
• Operations - Child Nutrition, Maintenance, and Transportation - Oct. 14, 2025
• Human Resources - Recruitment & Retention and Leadership Development - Nov. 10, 2025
• Curriculum & Instruction - Instruction Overview, Special Education, Gifted Education, and Fine Arts - Jan. 13, 2026
• Instructional Services - Career Technical Education, Educational Technology, English as a Second Language (ESL), and School Counseling/Assessment - Feb. 10, 2026
• Student & Pupil Services - Safety/Security, Shelby Cares (Mental Health), and Student Health - March 10, 2026

A graduation ceremony will be held at the April 16, 2026, Board of Education meeting. To graduate, a program participant may miss no more than one session.

The school district says they seek to engage a diverse group of citizens from Shelby County who are passionate about public education as program participants. This includes, but isn’t limited to, parents and guardians of Shelby County Schools’ students, retired educators, business professionals, community and civic leaders, and members of non-profit organizations.

Applications are available at this link. The deadline to apply is Aug. 15 at 4 p.m.

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