State of our schools

BALDWIN COUNTY, Ala. - Typically when most people think of the "Three R's" in education, the first thing that comes to mind are reading, writing, and arithmetic. But in today's economic times, the word recession also comes to mind.

Not long ago, schools in Baldwin County were fed by a growing economy. The district didn't have any budget cuts to worry about. The community saw the construction of new schools, snd portables were replaced.

"We had ample supplies, instructional aids, the teachers had everything we could ever hope for," says Hope Zeanah, principal of Elberta Elementary School.

But that was five years ago. While the "Friday Night Lights" haven't been turned off, the environment surrounding the party has drastically changed.

"In a nutshell, the budget has presented us with what can only be called a crisis and it can only be called a crisis because children aren't being supplied with adequate services, class sizes for an adequate learning environment," describes Baldwin County school board member Robert Callahan.

The problem

Public schools are paid for with federal, state, and local dollars. Callahan says the national recession has caused a decrease in the school systems revenue sources.

He explains because of the recession tourism is down, and that means money the district would normally collect from the sales tax is down significantly.

Callahan also says property values have plummeted too, which means homeowners pay less taxes.

To add insult to injury, another 7.5 percent proration was announced by Governor Bob Riley in September, which meant an additional $7.7 million in cuts. To help absorb some of those cuts, 510 positions were eliminated within the district, and two schools were closed.

Tammy Fleming is the principal at Bay Minette Middle School. Fleming says her school has lost 18 staff members.

"It's sad to see that foundation chipped away, but my goal is to remain here long enough to see all these things come back to us," said Fleming.

Fleming says there are only a handful of cafeteria workers. The school had to implement an entire new lunch schedule just so students could be fed.

Golden Gray teaches at the school. Gray says there are also more students in each classroom. She is responsible for 170 students a day, and says the larger class sizes are affecting the quality of education.

"Some of them need more than others do and with the budget cuts it's been very hard. I have at least 15 in one class that really, really need attention but the class is so large. It's 38 in there, I do my best, I do what I can," says Gray.

FOX10 News also spoke with students in Elberta, who say it's much the same in there.

Eva Curtts is a seventh grade student at Elberta Middle School. She says instead of custodians, students pick up the trash.

"At the end of the day we have to take time out of our seventh grade class to empty trash cans and sweep and pick up paper because of the custodian shortage," she said.

Baldwin County school leaders say it's a community problem.

In the U.S., 65 percent of convicts are dropouts. Lack of education is one of the strongest predictors of criminal activity.

The warden at Mobile Metro Jail agrees. Trey Oliver says there's been a tremendous increase in the jails juvenile population and a lack of education is a common denominator among many of the inmates.

"We see people here on a regular basis that make bad decisions, and that just sort of plays into the rut that they've gotten themselves into. It's like that's just one of the series of things that winds them up here," adds Oliver.

Oliver also says the jail offer GED programs to educate the inmates in hopes of keeping them from coming back.

Zeanah says if children don't learn how to read and write by the time they leave here, they're immediately put on a path towards failure. She fears that's where some are headed now.

"I've looked at our data compared to the last five years this time, and based on some of the assessments we are 20 percent below where we have been in the past. Our discipline referrals are up, our attendance we just barely made the 95 percent adequate yearly progress cut off for attendance," Zeanah says.

The Adequate Yearly Progress is one of the cornerstones of the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. It is a measure of year-to-year student achievement on statewide assessments.

Zeanah said even though schools are operating with less, they are expected to do more and still meet federal requirements.

So how do you stop this train?

School board members have identified the following five main factors causing the crisis:

• Economic conditions.

• Equity funding.

• Growth in student population.

• Increased cost in employee benefits.

• Restricted employment laws.

Financial Crisis Informational Meetings

Ad Valorem Mills by School System

Meanwhile, the Alabama State Board of Education says its been working with school systems for the last two years to prepare them for this inevitable downturn.

Assistant State Superintendent Craig Pouncey says some districts chose to listen, and begin down sizing their staffing levels in anticipation of reduced funding.

"We are in a crisis, since 2006 we have been working with school districts with the goal of establishing at least at a minimum, a one month operating reserve for each school district. This past school year we had 21 school systems that lacked that desired one month operating balance. They were working with those 21 schools when the Governor declared a 9 percent proration," says Pouncey.

Pouncey also says the cost of health insurance for education workers has increased 72 percent since 2003 from $660 million to more than a billion dollars today.

He says staffing adjustments must be made, and teachers along with other education employees need to start paying more for retirement and health insurance benefits.

"Would it be better for all students to be in a class of 15 sure, can the state afford it? No ma'am. Can the local schools systems afford it? No ma'am and I think we have to acknowledge that fact and make that annual adjustment on a statewide level," he stated.

In the meantime

Baldwin County parents say while school leaders grapple with a shrinking budget, students are left waiting.

Diana Curtts has three daughters in the school system.

"I'm not angry, I'm saddened because we have such top notch schools, well we did, and I think that what we have here in Baldwin County is so precious," Curtts says.

She explains education was a way for her husband to improve his circumstances and, by the profession he chose, enabled him to serve his fellow man as a family practice doctor in a small town. Curtts believes that every child deserves the opportunity to have a quality education.

"To see this opportunity slipping away in our community and in Baldwin County, and to realize now that many children in other school systems in Alabama may not have had access to an adequate education concerns me and keeps me pressing on. In my mind, it is a matter of social justice," she said.

The state says it will be another two to three years before conditions start to turn around.