Satsuma approves new school system

SATSUMA, Ala. (WALA) - Just minutes after 7 o'clock Tuesday night, Satsuma Mayor Bill Stewart flung open the doors of city hall and proudly announced that the school vote had passed.

Citizens of Satsuma voted 976-596, or 62 percent, in favor of not only splitting away from the Mobile County Public School System, but also to raise property taxes in order to fund an independent system.

FOX10 News interviewed Mayor Stewart about the vote. You can listen to his comments, including his promise to those who voted against the split, by clicking on the video to the left.

The goal for Satsuma is to have the new school system in operation by fall 2013, according to Mayor Stewart.

The Friends of Satsuma Schools organization campaigned for several months in order to get people to show up to the polls Tuesday to vote in favor of the tax and separation.

Mayor Stewart said finding a school board is the first task.

"A local board will be closely attached to the system, they will be community members and they will be able to react quickly to needs of the school system. Things that need to be done like one of our schools still has window units. Those things will be able to be corrected quickly," he said.

The question now is, will Satsuma end up with 640 acres of land and $500,000 in oil royalties connected to that land? According to state law, that's what should be given to Satsuma now that they voted to split from Mobile County Public School System.

Superintendent Dr. Roy Nichols said he's willing to fight against losing the land and the money, even though Satsuma will now be running their own school system.

"We are willing to go to court to make sure that the students of MCPSS are treated fair," Dr. Nichols said in a recent interview.

Mobile County has been collecting the half million dollars annually in addition to timber money from the land.

Aside from the land, state law said Satsuma should also get control of the three schools within city limits. Those schools include Satsuma High School, Robert E. Lee Elementary, and Robert E. Lee Intermediate.

Dr. Nichols said he didn't want the vote to pass, saying that Satsuma schools have been treated well by the system.

Nichols declined to comment Tuesday after the vote passed.