School Changes Getting Angry Reaction From Parents

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By Steve Alexander Reporter

M50o93H7pQ09L8X1t49cHY01Z5j4TT91fGfr School Changes Getting Angry Reaction From Parents

Published: Mon, March 17, 2008 - 9:38 pm

Steve Alexander

There's angry reaction from many parents of Mobile County students who will no longer be able to attend schools in Saraland.
Saraland is forming its own school system next school year, and taking an elementary and middle school from Mobile County.
Next school year, students who live in Satsuma and other parts of Mobile County will no longer be able to go to Adams Middle School.
Mobile school administrators have proposed moving those students to Shaw High school so they can keep teachers and children together in a fully functioning middle school program.
But many people who attended a meeting Monday night to hear more about the proposal weren't happy.
Some suggested that since Saraland students will be leaving nearby Lee Primary and Intermediate Schools, put students in those Mobile County schools instead of in Shaw.
Daniel Stolee, a parent who lives in Satsuma, said, "Those students will be gone. We're going to reduce staff at Lee. We could easily with two gymnasiums both at the primary and the intermediate turn the intermediate into a temporary secondary or middle school."
Other parents say Shaw is too far from where they live in case there's an emergency.
Another parent who lives in Satsuma, Danya Ardis, says, "My daughter has asthma. If she has is an asthmatic attack, that's forty five minutes to get to her."
Alabama state law says students who live in Saraland will go to Saraland schools.
At least one parent was unhappy about that.
Kim Feurtado said, "Most of them (students) are taking ninth grade classes already. Adams might not even offer that."
But Mobile County School Board Member Ken Megginson said nothing is final yet.
He says the meeting may prompt the Superintendent Roy Nichols to take another look at things.
Megginson said, "I think after tonight, that he has some new input. The folks that are here have new input, new information, new concerns, and that they will go back and re-evaluate the plan."
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For those of you who may not know. The School Board meeting is Tuesday, March 25 @ 6:00 in the Lee Intermediate gym. Let’s all attend and show them how outraged this community is with this decision.

Posted by wen71677 on 03/19/08 - 5:08 pm • Report Abuse

I am disgusted with the Mobile County School System
I moved to Satsuma for the schools. If anyone in our area wanted our kids to attend Shaw we would have move to that area.
It’s all a numbers game and all about the money they receive for each child and nothing more. If anyone in the Mobile County School System really cared about our children they wouldn’t be shipping them off to a school way out in Mobile that will probably take 45-60 minutes to get our children there just one way.
Explain to me how we can take our children to their regular dentist or doctors appointments without putting ALL the parents out and having to change providers as this could turn into a half a day event for the parents now.
What about when they have to stay late for extra curricular assignments or meetings how is this going to affect that as well? As for the questions and answer sheet they sent home it’s ridiculous, portables have been used at Robert E. Lee for years. Really disgusted Parent!

Posted by sheepguts on 03/19/08 - 1:02 am • Report Abuse

I was at this meeting as well. My opinion on this is that we have the right to decide who will run our country but we don’t have the right to decide on where our children go to school is absolutely unjust. This decision was made quickly, irresponsibly and without any consideration for those of us who choose to keep our children in a small community and not travel 25 miles or more each day one way. I think that the school board thought that we would just take this decision no questions asked! Well they were wrong! We have a tight nit community here and we do care what happens to our children.
Also, the fact that MCPSS is allowing the Sarland students to continue attending Satsuma High School but we are not allowed to attend Adams is ridiculous! 99% of Satsuma, Creola and Axis residents shop and dine in Saraland which means that we are paying for their school system. I say that we boycott Saraland and or move our kids to private school. See how long they can manage without our money!

Posted by wen71677 on 03/18/08 - 5:50 pm • Report Abuse

I was at this meeting and can only say that the school board made a decision that might have looked good on paper, but it doesn’t work at all for our families. Dr. Nichols took it on the chin, but someone had to stand up and admit that they made this poor decision without asking the community for input. There are REAL options to keep our kids in town and give them the education they need without busing them 20+ miles away from home. The board didn’t think about how this would affect things like city sports, church and more importantly family time because of riding the bus an hour both ways. They didn’t realize how much of an impact this would cause because it’s not their kids and it affects families in so many different and problematic ways. So no thanks. We’ll go to private schools if necessary to keep our family operating the way it should.

Posted by Opinionwriter on 03/18/08 - 11:42 am • Report Abuse