No decision made to close schools

BALDWIN COUNTY, Ala. - Terry Wilhite, Director of Communication for Baldwin County schools, sent the following information about school closings: "No decision has been made to close or consolidate any Baldwin County Public Schools facility."

The Baldwin County Board of Education faces a $47 million budget deficit, about half of that amount is immediate and about $24 million is projected for the fiscal year that begins in September.

In order to save as many jobs as possible and to protect the integrity of the classroom, the Board passed a Strategic Plan for Cost Containment at its February meeting.

As part of the plan, school system leaders were asked to see if the possibility exists for consolidation or closure of facilities.

In reviewing the numbers, the school system is looking at Vaughn Elementary in Stockton and at the Alternative School in Fairhope. Vaughn Elementary costs about $1.9 million to operate annually.

It serves 120 students. State law puts the threshold at 140 students to be deemed a school.

A possibility exists to transfer students at the Alternative School to other school system facilities in the county such as the North Baldwin Center for Technology in Bay Minette and the South Baldwin Center for Technology in Robertsdale.

These are vocational-technical facilities where empty classrooms could accommodate students. Students attend the Alternative School when they have been expelled and allowed to the facility.

But to repeat, no decision has been made to close Vaughn Elementary or the Alternative School. The board will discuss cost containment, including these two schools, at its 5:00 p.m. Tuesday work session at Gulf Shores Middle and possibly at its regularly scheduled board meeting next Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. in Bay Minette.

As always, the priority is to provide students the best education possible in safe facilities.