New County School Building Plan Emerges

Fairhope, Alabama

"PAY AS YOU" GO THIS TIME
John Wilson at right (back turned)

At a Board of Education work-session yesterday in Daphne, Superintendent Eddie Tyler and CFO John Wilson presented a revised 8-10 year growth plan to add additional classroom and auxiliary space to various schools around the county.

The plan is to be in two phases: phase one possibly starting next year -- and a phase two as funding becomes available in the next few years (no new borrowing is being proposed).

Phase one will put the available $15.6 million to its best usage according to current needs, Wilson said ($96 million will be needed for all pay-go projects eventually)

Tyler standing.
It will take care of long term growth needs (10 years out?) at the six schools -- and remove 1/3 of the total portable classrooms around the county.

 The plan is only a preliminary proposal that is to be adjusted and tweaked as needed, Tyler said.
 
The BOE will have to approve it, by majority vote.

(New funding sources will be needed for additional needs, like entirely new schools in Gulf Shores, Foley, and Daphne.)


PHASE ONE COSTING $15.6 MILLION

* Elsanor Elementary School: Add 10 classrooms and a fence
   around entire property.

* Central Baldwin High: Add 16 classrooms.

 * Perdidio Elementary: Replace a small, fire-damaged building
    with serious safety and heath concerns.

* Fairhope High School: Add 20 classrooms and expand the
   cafeteria (all portables eliminated).

* Elberta Elementary: Add 14 classrooms (more in phase 2)

* Roberstdale High School: Expand the cafeteria.


PHASE TWO LATER

As money becomes available:

* Spanish Fort High School: Add 40 rooms

* Robertsdale High School: Add 20 rooms

* Elberta: re-configure grades levels and add classrooms to move
   450 students from Foley High School. (in effect "create" a high
    school there)


OTHER MATTERS

Hope Zenah
Later in the meeting, Hope Zenah gave a presentation about a possible change of the BOE's mission and vision statements and switching from laptop computers to cheaper chromebook tablets instead.

She also said total graduation rate reached a record 92% in 2014.






Cake to welcome Tyler




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