BAY MINETTE — Parents of students at Bay Minette Elementary School received notice that the school would lose Assistant Principal Averette Hale. But according to Baldwin County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Alan Lee, that might not be the case.

This week a letter was sent to the parents, notifying them that due to budget cuts, Hale would be moved next door to Baldwin County Intermediate School and her position at the elementary school would be left vacant. In response, two parents spoke in opposition to the action during Baldwin County Board of Education meeting in Bay Minette on Thursday, Sept. 16.

Stating her case to the board was Victoria Gates, whose son is in second grade and has attended BMES since kindergarten.

“We really, really need our assistant principal,” she said, pointing out that the number of students at the elementary school is greater than at BMIS. “We have 579 children, while the other school has 425 children.”

Gates went on to cite the 1-cent sales tax Baldwin County residents recently approved to fund education.

“I thought it was to keep something like this from happening,” said Gates, who volunteers and substitute-teaches at the elementary school.

In her plea to the board, Gates went on to list Hale’s duties, which include overseeing school buses, discipline, the cafeteria, special education and the Educate Alabama program and coordinating field trips.

“These are just a few,” Gates said, “and not really a few.”

Adding to that plea was Bay Minette Elementary School PTO Vice President Kristen Byrd, who asked the school board if they could postpone Hale’s move until the staff and parents of students at BMES could speak with Lee.

“We’d like the opportunity to talk with Dr. Lee,” she said.

The superintendant agreed to such a meeting before approving Hale’s move.

“That proposed transfer is not on the agenda for tonight,” he said. “I do want to be able to respond to parents, and I would also say that I do have a plan to reallocate personnel resources in our county for those schools who do have the greatest need. We will be evaluating that.”

Following those evaluations, Lee said he will then make his recommendations to the school board.

Board member Bob Callahan of Fairhope then asked Lee to help those present at the meeting understand the state-mandated criteria for such a proposal as moving Hale, who is one of approximately 18 assistant principals in Baldwin County, to a school with fewer students.

Lee explained that his request was to evaluate the schools, to determine which of them have the most students living at the poverty level “and to reallocate the assistant principals that we will have throughout the county to schools with the greatest need.”

In an interview after the board meeting, Gates expressed satisfaction with the board’s position on the issue.

“I’m excited about what they said,” she said.

The proposed transfer of Hale comes in tandem with Gov. Bob Riley’s announcement Thursday that because state Attorney General Troy King’s $148 million lawsuit against BP stopped the oil company’s payment to the state following the oil spill in the Gulf, the governor was increasing proration for Alabama’s education budget by 2 percent for the current fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30. According to Lee, that results in a 2 percent cut in the county’s education budget.

“That will mean a reduction in our funding by roughly $2 million,” he said.

In additional business, the board:

Approved the renewal of ARMS general liability/errors and omissions liability insurance.Approved contracts with Forte Services, Superior Consulting, Tucker’s Tang Soo Do, Behavioral Consultants and Tomaso Learning Center.Approved the retirement and resignation of Robertsdate High language arts teacher Amy D. Goodrich;Approved 11 transfer incentives in the amount of $2,500 each.Approved the termination of Gulf Shores Middle School aide Barbara Styron and suspension of Foley Middle School custodian Charles C. Hoover.

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