BAY MINETTE — There are 315 subdivisions currently under construction in Baldwin County, which are set to add about 17,000 additional students to Baldwin County Public Schools (BCPS) in the next five to 10 years.

Michael Malm, Geographical Information Systems (GIS) manager and geographer for BCPS, collects and analyzes data to help determine where and when new schools should be built based on student and population growth.

According to the data he presented at the Sept. 25 board of education meeting, the cities with the largest estimated increase in student population are Spanish Fort, Foley and Fairhope.

Spanish Fort currently has 20 active subdivision construction sites, which Malm estimates will add 9,800 students of all ages to BCPS in the next three to five years. Most of these new students are projected to come from the Stonebridge and Highlands subdivisions.

“The Highlands in Spanish Fort is basically a brand new city, if you really want to look at it, because they’re planning on building 24,000 houses,” Malm said.

While the subdivision is set to be completed in phases, slowing down the immediate complete effects on the school system, an estimated 8,000 students are to come from that new subdivision alone once it is fully constructed.

Stonebridge is a currently existing subdivision, which provides a ratio of about one student per house. Typically, a subdivision provides one student for three houses. Stonebridge recently had an expansion approved that is set to add 3,000 more houses. If the current student-to-house ratio remains the same, this subdivision is set to bring in about 3,000 more students.

The Foley feeder zone currently has 65 active subdivisions, set to add an estimated 2,612 students in the next three to five years.

Malm said land is currently being sought out to build another elementary school in Foley. Florence B. Mathis Elementary, which was built in 2020 and designed for 1,200 students, is at capacity.

“We’re trying our due diligence to find land,” he said. “It’s very difficult in the Foley area; most developers have bought up any decent sized lots.”

A similar issue can be seen in Fairhope, which has 48 active subdivision construction sites set to add 1,114 new students in the next three to five years. Malm said BCPS is currently looking for land in Fairhope to build another elementary school.

The next largest projection for student growth is in the Robertsdale feeder zone with 45 active subdivisions set to bring an additional 785 students.

Malm said he is not too worried about this area as the new Silverhill Elementary School opened this year and the new Loxley Elementary is set to open next year, giving the zone "plenty of room."

In the Elberta area, there are 31 active subdivisions being built with an estimated 720 additional students in the next three to five years. Malm said this area is being looked at for future developments and suggested the board consider building a Lillian Elementary School.

The Daphne feeder zone has 16 active subdivisions with approximately 716 students set to be added to BCPS within the next three to five years. As the area is “fairly landlocked,” Malm does not expect too many more subdivisions to appear in the area in the next five to 10 years.

He noted the new elementary school, renamed to the Jubilee Elementary School at the same meeting, being built in Daphne should help accommodate some of the increase in student population.

The smallest projection in student population increases is in the Baldwin County High School feeder zone, which has 30 active subdivisions with an estimated additional 247 students within the next five years.

“It’s not too bad. The subdivisions are spread pretty well,” Malm said. “I don’t think it’s going to affect our schools too bad.”

Malm said at the beginning of his presentation “there’s a little bit everywhere” when it comes to growth in the county. He said he is actively looking into the growth and will continue to work with the board on next steps.