I’d like to hear from Pat if he is going to pursue answering the questions listed by Real Story.  I also want to know how much administration was cut as compared to Mobile County. It seems like Dr. Nichols started from the top, if I remember correctly. HOw much are the asst. superintendents earning? The paid “spokesperson” for BCBE? Does Mobile County have all this, too? I know that Baldwin County has an enviable system, noted for setting standards across the state; however, Mobile has the largest system in the state, one that is fraught with many problems, yet they elected to start from the top when making cuts. That’s a pretty savvy decision, one that protects the teachers’ (the ones who actually work with the students!) and the students’ best interest.

True Story thanks again for filling in the details that we as the public can’t/or won’t get from the regular media. The music teacher was really screwed by the Baldwin CO school district. What a crappy way to treat employees. It just shows that its word can’t be trusted. Just add a note of caution to future applicants.

Here are some questions that need some answers. (Pat feel free to use any of them.)

It was mentioned in your story that there would be possible extra curricular cuts to help off set the budget shortage. What EXTRA curricular cuts are being comtemplated or is the BOE just blowing smoke and planning more classroom cuts?

Why has Bay Minette taken the hardest “hit” with the disproportionate number of cuts vs. the rest of the county schools?

What are the class sizes of the International Baccalaureate program classes at Daphne HS and Fairhope HS? Could those two programs be combined into one program to save money?

Why is the Baldwin CO. school system struggling finacially and the Mobile CO. school system seem to have its act together financially?

How did Baldwin CO. schools measure up to AYP? It looked like Dr. Nichols was giving a report to his staff yesterday regarding AYP. Did that happen in Baldwin CO? School systems have had those results for several weeks.

The teacher, from what I understand, was pink-slippd at the end of the year and then was rehired very early in the summer but not voted on (which is usually just a technicality). She was then re-released last week since the board had not officially hired her. She was treated horribly in this case. She was re-released after all area jobs were filled and with little or no hope of finding a job for this school year.

Nothing is done outside of the school day with the exception of a few concerts and other performances. The savings is in salary and benefits only.

The story SHOULD be how disproportionate the cuts have been. Bay Minette has taken the hardest hit. Two schools have been closed (Vaughn and the alt school) and both are there. Bay Minette’s bands have more than tripled in size in the last three years, but they are the only schools to lose both middle school programs (Perdido and BMMS) and the head director at the high school. 

Regarding AYP… all Bay Minette schools achieved AYP according to the ALSDE website.

One more point

WKRG you reported about the finacial side of Baldwin County School system today but nothing about the AYP and Baldwin CO. schools. How did they do regarding AYP?

Real Story thanks for breakdown of the schedule and the information that 4 classes are being cut at BMMS. But I’m still not sure where the cost saving is coming from. 80 to 85% of schools’ cost are teachers’ salaries. With school starting in a week, teachers have contracts for the 2009-2010 school year. Were any teachers “pink sliped”/let go this week because of this reduction in band classes at BMMS? Or did the Baldwin CO. BOE make this reduction earlier in the summer and just made this fact known today? As they say, timing is everything. BOE members will be talking with the Baldwin County Commissioners on Tuesday and Wednesday regarding the 1 cent sales tax increase. This story is a great way to fuel the fire,and rile up parents to supprt the sales tax increase.
Real Story, can you answer this question? Are pep rallies at BMMS held during the school day or after school? The reason I ask is that any middle school that I have been associated with always held its pep rallies during school at the end of the school day.If pep rallies are after school, how much student attendance is there? Middle school students don’t drive, parents picking up students, and bus routes can’t be changed to accomodate one school’s activity. Just wondering.

And just in general, why is Baldwin County School System struggling financally and needing a bailout from the county commissioners and yet you don’t hear close to that regarding the Mobile Co. School System?

The point of my last comment was to challenge someone at WKRG to launch some good investigative reporting. Compare expenditures here with other systems. Crunch some numbers. Show the public the TRUTH!

DIG DEEPER, indeed!! I have said it before, and I will say it again: look at the wasteful spending going on in BC: Styrofoam lunch plates/forks and microwaveable food in the cafeteria? Yet, we still have so many cafeteria workers? That would be the first place to clean up! As one writer on here put it, look at some of the programs whose directors do not have any student contact.  Start from the top and start streamlining.

BMMS was to have two seventh grade band classes, two eighth grade band classes, jazz band, and a humanities class taught by the band director. Four classes have been cut including jazz band. For those who went to SOS in March, you know that there is no way all of those kids will fit in one 7th grade class… to think those 100+ can is silly if you have ever youred the school and seen the room. 

After BMMS she was then to travel to BMIS to do beginner band.  The kids from Vaughn who were promised bigger and better things when their school closed have now lost band at BMIS quite possibly as well. Not to mention Perdido that has lost their program through another cut nobody seems to discuss.

I agree with Bamamoose… dig deeper. There are much more interesting stories in there than one little ditty about one school.

b.c.b.e is a joke

Why didn’t we get the whole story on the 5 PM news? Only one period of band has been cut. I’m assuming it is Jazz Band and both 7th and 8th grade band will be two band classes that are continuing. How much money will be saved by cutting out jazz band? How many students are affected with cutting of jazz band?  Teachers have contracts so was this teacher already between two schools? Or was she only teaching 3 periods a day?  Did Baldwin Co. cut her contract? If Bay Minette MS wanted to save money, why not let go/return to the classroom the Curriculum Specialist? I doubt that employee has direct student contact. Band is a class, not an EXTRA curricular activity, although some of its activities take place after school. The school is cutting those activities; not all of band. True EXTRA curricular activities would be sports. So cut them out and the coaches’ pay supplements. That wouldn’t affect academics and would save money. The school and the Board of Education is playing on the parents, students and taxpayers’ emotions. I don’t think Channel 5 is giving all the facts and just buying in to what the Baldwin Co. Board of Education wants to show to the public. Dig deeper into this story.