Tourist Dollars Could Help Baldwin Schools

Alabama Season Profitable summer tourist season on Pleasure Island could help bail Baldwin County Board of Education out of its financial crisis..

by Pat Peterson

Published: Thu, August 13, 2009 - 3:09 pm CST Last Updated: Thu, August 13, 2009 - 6:33 pm CST

Sales are up this summer at many businesses on Pleasure Island. The summer tourist season was a profitable one.

"Our June numbers are in and we saw about a two percent increase in tourist expenditures," says Herb Malone with the Alabama Gulf Coast Tourism and Visitor's Bureau."

An increase in local tax revenue could spell relief for the Baldwin County Board of Education. The district is facing a 56 million dollar budget shortfall and recently announced a reduction in force policy. Nearly 200 school support staff employees could lose their jobs by the end of the month.

A profitable tourist season is certainly good news for the school system, but will it be enough to bail out the struggling district?

"Over 90 percent of our revenue comes from the state and local funds so it will take some time to recover, but it's good news that the cash registers are ringing," says Terry Wilhite, school spokesman. "There's a delay from the time it gets into the cash register into our school coffers, but we appreciate every cent that's spent."

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bhutch Says:

Fri, Aug 14, 2009 at 10:45 pm

Wow, 200 school support staff employees, who made an average of $280,000 each. No wonder the school system is in trouble(sarcasm) Instead of cutting from the bottom up they need to start cutting at the top! If we give them more money, they will just spend it away like they’ve been allowed to in the past. I am so sick on the little guy getting blamed and punished for the big guys wreckless behavior. On election day, if the voters don’t fire these knuckleheads then they deserve what they get. Wake up America, while we still can!

Razorsharp Says:

Thu, Aug 13, 2009 at 8:37 pm

...and the board members will still act the same way…they will still waste your tax dollars…they will still spend frivilously…and they will still retain their monstrous salaries and perks…oh, I almost forgot about their tenacity to vote themselves raises…