Educational Committee Plans to Seek $750,000

Fairhope, Alabama

TO SUPPLEMENT FAIRHOPE AREA SCHOOLS

After meeting with students, teachers and administrators from all of the five Fairhope-area Baldwin County Schools, Educational Advisory Committee members have decided to write a "proposal letter" to the the city's Finance Committee asking that $750,000 be earmarked in next  year's city budget to assist the local schools. The money could then be used to hire 10 teachers (2 teacher-units per school), supporting staff -- or for routine classroom supplies (or some combination thereof).

The interviews conducted at the schools revealed administrators and teachers there are doing the best they can with dwindling resources; but they fear additional cuts in state/local funding next year could "push them over the precipice."

Committee member Henry Clark: "People are proud of their schools ... doing an outstanding job with so little ... covering real problems ... (like) some very high class sizes."

The proposal letter is to be presented by Jun 1st, then a more detailed presentation will be made in person to the various Financial and Budget Committees during the normal budget-forming process later this summer.

The next budget year for the city (FY2013) begins Oct 1st; the city council must approve all expenditures.

Comments

Anonymous said…
from where? this is why we need to break away and form our own city system. i have now heard it all.
Anonymous said…
It almost looks like Good 2 Great encouraged this "proposal" knowing that it would fail, so they could then prove that city schools would be the only way to go. One part of this plan that is glaringly faulty is that the city of Fairhope could not provide funding for Newton School without a lot of controversy. I have spoken with the members of the EAC and suggested that the fairest approach would be to fund large projects/needs at the middle and high schools, since all the Fairhope students end up there eventually, and money spent at just those schools would have a greater impact. I wonder how many of the folks on this committee have decided their time was wasted?
Anonymous said…
I wish the G2G crowd would enroll their children in the local private school and leave us working stiffs alone
Anonymous said…
This proposal is laughable. If this came from the "experts" in our community on education - we're in a heap of trouble.

Who would these "teachers" report to? The city who is paying their salary or the county who is responsible for educating our children?

These would most certainly be contract employees without benefits...A pretty hefty salary for a school year..

One of the many reasons we need a new city council who won't appoint their minions to make important decisions about education and other city matters.
Anonymous said…
No thank you!
Anonymous said…
Five more years! That is how long I have left with a child in the school system. I will be soooooo glad. Of course, my taxes, etc will continue long after this.
Anonymous said…
Schools must learn to live within their means. Cut administrative staff, make parents of players in sports pay a larger amount of the costs. Some teachers have no homerooms and several breaks a day. Some classes only have 10 or 15 students. Teach basics, and hire the best teachers, cut the frills.

I love the longer summer idea--keep them dumb and working for minimum wage.
Anonymous said…
I think it would be a good idea to help the local Baldwin Schools as much as we can. Good schools lift the local economy.
Anonymous said…
This has nothing to do with Good2Great. It is only to supplement the Baldwin School System during hard economic times.
Anonymous said…
This has everything to do with the Good2Great proposal. I suggest you check the names on the Good2Great advisory committee and their leadership team against the appointed members of the EAC.

You can fall for the "this has nothing to do with Good2Great" if you want to.

Some of us non-sheep are paying attention.
Anonymous said…
Is a free education a basic right that should be paid for by the government? Or should parents of those children have to pay more than those without children in the system? Pay for books, bus transportation, etc...something to help offset the costs.

And what about those of us who sacrifice to send our children to private school while parents who send their kids to government schools have to pay almost nothing? And get free lunches, bus rides, after school care, etc...
Anonymous said…
These folks should be commended for volunteering their time to take on such a controversial issue even if it all turns out for naught. Its involved citizens like these that make Fairhope special.
Anonymous said…
You're right...commend these people for willing to be generous with other peoples' money.
Anonymous said…
Focus on the purpose of education to prepare individuals to work and contribute to society. Why are coaches paid for ten months? Why the misplaced emphasis on sports? Especially football? Focus on the core educational subjects. Fairhope must address that the majority of students in the feeder pattern do not live in Fairhope. Thus their parents are not paying for Fairhope services. Either annex or charge for attendance.