Classes End, But Changes Are Ahead.

Alabama Mobile Three Mobile County Public Schools close for good Thursday.

by Steve Alexander

Published: Thu, May 28, 2009 - 9:34 pm CST Last Updated: Thu, May 28, 2009 - 9:52 pm CST

Classes at Mobile County Public Schools ended for the year Thursday.
But that marked the beginning of some big changes concerning which schools many students will attend next year.
The Mobile County School Board took action at its meeting Thursday night on changing school boundaries.
The board had already voted to close Woodcock and Fonvielle Elementary Schools, and Hillsdale Middle School to save money.
That set off a chain reaction of moving students from one school to another.
One of the biggest changes involved Haskew Elementary School in Mobile.
The board voted to move 111 students from Haskew to Davis Elementary.
Superintendent Roy Nichols said, "We're trying to avoid placing portables at one of our schools. If we could just move a few kids over to the next school to add room, then we don't have to go buy those portables."
Teachers and parents had already expected the move.
Lisa Addison, a Haskew teacher and parent said, "I had mixed emotions about it. We hate to lose kids, we love them all, but, then again, its going to give us room where we're really crowded."
Gina Deloney, a Haskew parent, "With the overcrowding, its hard (for teachers) to get more one on one time with the students. So I'm glad to see it."
Also Thursday night, board members took steps to keep schools safe.
They voted to take nine students out of regular schools and send them to alternative schools for at least part or all of next year.
School Board Resident Ken Megginson said, "Out of those nine (cases), six involved weapons that they had brought to school. Someone had allowed those children to bring those weapons to school. It's a big concern of ours."

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