Financial support from the city of Foley is playing a key role in rising academic performance across local public schools, educators told city officials during a joint meeting of Foley City Council and Foley Education Advisory Committee.

Administrators from the Baldwin County Public School System and principals representing the six schools in the Foley feeder pattern reported that state report card ratings improved at every campus over the past year. All six graded schools earned a B, marking the first time every Foley-area school has reached that level.

City leaders began providing supplemental funding to schools three years ago, budgeting $300,000 this year to be distributed through FEAC. Officials said the funding allows schools to address individual needs while supporting academic and arts initiatives.

“Each school is unique and they have unique challenges. The Baldwin County Board of Education does an incredible job supporting all of our schools,” Mayor Ralph Hellmich told educators. “We supplement that. That's what we hope to do. I want to thank you for the partnership that you've allowed us to do. I think it's made a difference.”

Baldwin County Superintendent Eddie Tyler said leadership and commitment among Foley educators are driving the gains.

“They are dead serious about moving the needle, the academics helping kids,” Tyler said “It's all about the leadership. I guarantee you, we've got some of the best leaders in our school now. I'm very proud and excited about that.”

Tyler said the school system will continue working with the city to build on recent progress.

“We're gonna continue to support our schools here in Foley,” he said. “We're just extremely proud of what's going on in Foley, as I am in all our other seven feeder patterns.”

Schools in the Foley feeder pattern include Foley High School, Foley Middle School, Foley Elementary School, Florence B. Mathis Elementary School, Magnolia Elementary School and Swift School.

Over the past three years, state report card scores rose significantly at each campus. Foley High School increased from 70 to 80. Foley Middle School climbed from 68 to 81, a 13-point jump that was the largest among Foley schools. Mathis Elementary improved from 79 to 83. Foley Elementary rose from 79 to 85. Magnolia increased from 77 to 83 and Swift moved from 78 to 82.

FEAC Chair JaNay Dawson said the results reflect targeted use of city funding, often for part-time instructors, with spending decisions left to school leaders.

“This is indicative of the work of the principals of your schools and the teachers that are in your schools, and the extra people that they hire to make sure they get where they need to be,” Dawson said. “The reason we are able to do this is that the city of Foley and the Baldwin County Board of Education agreed three years ago to enter into a partnership to provide extra support to focus on academics and arts. We are not a committee that tells principals what they need to do. Our job is to give them money specifically for specific needs in each of their schools.”

At Florence B. Mathis Elementary, Principal Gina Gipson said part-time instructors funded by the city have helped raise reading scores and sharply reduce chronic absenteeism.

“Our students are learning more, growing faster and showing strong academic progress across multiple areas,” GIpson said. “FEAC has supported Mathis in many ways. We have initiatives that have been put in place. You have people that have been put in place due to this funding.”

Foley Elementary Principal Brooke Waters said the school improved academically even as the percentage of special education students and students learning English increased.

“Your investment has allowed us to strengthen our school in ways that directly benefit students every single day at Foley Elementary,” Waters told council and FEAC members.

The school employs seven part-time instructors, most retired Baldwin County teachers.

“We chose this approach because research is clear that the most effective way to help students grow academically is through direct, explicit teaching,” Waters said. “When a trained teacher is working closely with the child in a small group or one on one setting, learning is going to happen faster and more consistently. Our PTIs make this little support possible.”

Magnolia Elementary Principal P.J. Sute said city funding allowed the school to hire math intervention teachers and a part-time behavior intervention teacher, with plans to fill a special education intervention position. Chronic absenteeism dropped from as high as 19% to less than 1%.

“We definitely credit this to the attendance incentives that the advisory committee helps support us with,” Sute said. “We're not sending those kiddos home anymore. It's related to our behavior interventionist. She's here. We get to keep those kiddos on campus.”

Sute noted Magnolia is outside Foley city limits but remains closely tied to the community.

“I wanted you to know how wholeheartedly grateful we are for all of the support that you give Magnolia School,” she said. “It truly means the world. Obviously, we are not in city limits, but we are Foley Lions. Our kiddos go to Foley schools. So it just means everything to us to be included in this committee and to have your support.”

At Swift School, city funding was used to purchase Vox books for English as a second language students, along with hiring part-time instructors. Principal Lynn Smith said the books help students feel more comfortable while learning.

“They feel different. They don't feel safe,” Smith said. “So one thing that y'all helped us purchase are these Vox books. They look like real books, but they read them to the students, and they're in Spanish and English, so they look like they're doing their work and they're learning both languages.”

Smith credited the support with improved scores.

“I'm just very proud of our scores,” she said. “We could not do it without you. So thank you very much for supporting us.”

Foley Middle School Principal Katy White said gains were seen in English as a second language, reading, science and attendance. FEAC funding also helped teachers attend conferences and supported programs recognizing student achievement.

“Without the support of this community, Foley Middle School would not be where it is today, and I could not be more proud of them,” White said.

At Foley High School, Principal Jessica Webb said city funding expanded ACT preparation and testing opportunities, allowing all 10th and 11th graders to take the exam.

“I'm really proud, with your help this year, that we were able to test all of our 10th graders with our 11th graders,” Webb said. “We're super excited about our 10th graders that are coming up this year. By the time they are 11th graders, they will have taken the ACT exam. For many of them, this will be their third time taking that test. That didn't happen before. It was the first time. So we're really excited that we've been able to offer that for our kids through our prep sessions and additional ACT exams for kids.”

Webb said continued collaboration will drive further improvement.

“Thank you for everything you do,” she told council members. “Thank you, Mr. Tyler, for partnering with FEAC. As you can see, this has really elevated our schools and what we can offer our kids and help our kids. Every school is different and our needs are different, but our committee does a great job of listening to us and supporting us in what we need. So it's been awesome. Thank you.”

GCM previously reported on state report results. You can find more information by clicking here.