Fairhope Independent School District?

Alabama Baldwin County Group of fed-parents wants the city of Fairhope to conduct a feasibility study on forming an independent school system

by Pat Peterson

Published: Mon, September 14, 2009 - 4:23 pm CST Last Updated: Mon, September 14, 2009 - 5:31 pm CST

FAIRHOPE, Alabama - A group of fed-up parents sent a letter to Fairhope Mayor Tim Kant and the city council, asking them to conduct a feasibility study on breaking away from the Baldwin County Board of Education and forming their own, independent school district. The group says their worried about the county school district's 56 million dollar budget shortfall.

"It's very alarming," says Diana Brewer, a Fairhope parent. "The class sizes are very alarming, the cutbacks, the extra-curricular activities and we don't know what's going to come down the pike in the future, but we do know that it's very serious and it's just not acceptable."

City leaders would not talk to News 5 about the 25-thousand dollar study or if there's money in the budget to approve the group's request, but supporters of the idea say the study would be beneficial.

"It'd be money well, well spent and I think we'd learn a lot from it," says Brewer. "It all comes down to funding, but if we don't have the funding, they'll get a decent education, we just want them to have the best education."

The Baldwin County Board of Education says they understand and respect the group's desire to form their own school system, but they say the county is better prepared to educate students.

"It's not as easy as it may appear to have an independent school system," says Terry Wilhite, director of communications for the school district. "We contend that we're always better working together than independently."

Mayor Kant and the city council will discuss the study this week.

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stconk89 Says:

Mon, Oct 05, 2009 at 12:08 am

Fairhope is the wealthier part of the County, I don’t think the school board is bungling the money, I think the people of Fairhope do not like to share money with others.

taxpayer Says:

Fri, Oct 02, 2009 at 12:50 pm

The concerns are vaild; quite valid indeed. The good people in Fairhope are simply tired of watching their hard earned money bungled by the CFO of the Baldwin County Board of Education.

stconk89 Says:

Mon, Sep 21, 2009 at 12:04 am

What are the concerns of the Fairhope Parents? Are they concerned that they are sharing money with the rest of the county school system?? A few years ago, Gulf Shores was thinking about breaking off from the Baldwin County system as well, what became of that? Was it the reality that if the Gulf Shores became its own school system, it would have a lot more overhead, and in return it would have to generate an income to supprot the school system, and where is the money going to come from? It would have come from higher local taxes either sale or real estate? For a good quality education, it takes many forms of support? What is the problem with the schools that several Fairhope parents think they have to have there own school system? It seems that some of the parents are trying to be self center rather than community center in improving education. People should think not about their kids, but the many other kids out there trying to receive a good education. To improve education system will take not self effort of the student and family, but a community as well.

DEBRA Says:

Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 5:28 pm

I think that is what we should do out in rabun and stockton alabama.

Mr.Wilhite will said anything. Do you know what he makes in a year.

You go FAIRHOPE!!!!