BAY MINETTE, Ala. — The Baldwin County Board of Education is officially investing in the "Yes You Can" initiative.

During its regular meeting in Bay Minette on Thursday, Jan. 20, the board agreed to contribute $17,418.50 for strategic planning of the grassroots program designed to improve the quality of education, as previously reported in a Gulf Coast Newspapers series detailing the initiative.

According to BOE spokesman Terry Wilhite, the board’s contribution will help implement the initiative’s s third phase.

As explained in the series, “Yes We Can” developed from community conversations held throughout Baldwin County with the intention of pinpointing ways to improve the community. The result was a focus on partnering members of business, organizations and the education field to hone in on improving education throughout the county — “Yes We Can.”

But to do so costs money.

“The program has a $69,000 to $70,000 price tag,” Wilhite said after the board meeting.

According to Denise D’Oliveira, executive director of the Daphne Foundation Supporting Education Enrichment in Daphne Schools (SEEDS), the board’s approval of financing a portion of the program’s funding is good news.

“We’re excited about the board’s investing in this co-owned process,” she said after the board meeting, adding that by committing funds, the board was committing itself to the county-wide focus on strengthening the education process.

Find out more of the board’s decisions in Wednesday’s edition of The Baldwin Times.