Orange Beach school split set for July 1

City to appoint school board April 4

By GUY BUSBY, Government Editor, guy@gulfcoastmedia.com
Posted 4/6/22

ORANGE BEACH — Creating a new school system takes, on average, about 18 months. Orange Beach officials are working to accomplish the goal in time to start classes in August, supporters of the effort said Wednesday, March 30.

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Orange Beach school split set for July 1

City to appoint school board April 4

Posted

ORANGE BEACH — Creating a new school system takes, on average, about 18 months. Orange Beach officials are working to accomplish the goal in time to start classes in August, supporters of the effort said Wednesday, March 30.
Mayor Tony Kennon, city council members and other officials met with residents last week at the Orange Beach Performing Arts Center to discuss the split from the Baldwin County School System.
Kennon said that while the county education system is good, the city can do more for local students.
"We're not breaking away because Baldwin County has treated us bad or because there's an issue with Baldwin County," Kennon said. "Baldwin County has been very good to us, and we have worked with them, and Superintendent (Eddie) Tyler has been very good to us."
Kennon said officials plan to have the municipal system in place by July 1, before the new school year begins in August.

County school officials are waiting for the appointment of a city school board and superintendent before beginning negotiations or commenting on the split, according to a statement from the Baldwin County School System on Friday.
Kennon said the City Council will appoint the new city school board Tuesday, April 5. The new board will appoint a superintendent and the board and superintendent will make other hiring decisions. Kennon said other personnel decisions will be completed after those positions are filled.
"We met with the teachers and staff last week, and there's just a lot of questions we can't answer at this time for them because they're still county employees and they have to work through the county," Kennon said. "Baldwin County has met with them too. There's nothing worse than being in limbo and not knowing about your job. I've been there many times, every four years."
Councilman Jerry Johnson said city officials hope to let teachers know what to expect in their jobs as soon as possible.
"We've got good people that are going to be involved in this transition process. But don't think that we have forgotten about the teachers," he told the audience. "We're going to try to reduce that hang time as much as possible. It's a fast process, but we have you at the center of our hearts. You're doing an excellent job and we want to make sure you're being taken care of, so bear with us."
Some proposals for the new system include a four-day class week and block scheduling for students, Kennon said. Teachers could be offered incentive pay and provided with childcare by the city. Other ideas include drug testing and collaboration on some programs with the Gulf Shores city school system.
The mayor said the city plans to pass a 3% lodging tax to pay the costs of the school system. In 2021, the city's 7% lodging tax brought in $28.85 million, or about $4.12 million for each percent charged.
Kennon said the tax should generate at least $10 to $12 million a year. With other city funding, the system will have about $18 million a year. Annual operating expenses are expected to be about $14 million, he said.
"We start off with a $4 million surplus," he said. "That does not include the $1 million or so, probably more, that we already put into the school from our General Fund budget."
The city system will also have to pay Baldwin County for the school buildings now in Orange Beach.
Kennon said after the meeting that the city will have to pay about $40 million for the depreciated value of the buildings. He said officials plan to take out a loan to pay the costs.
Kennon said children who live in unincorporated areas on Ono Island and in Fort Morgan should be allowed to continue attending Orange Beach schools.
"I think we ought to be able to say without hesitation that any child in this school now will stay in this school and be able to go to this school," Kennon said. "Again, a school board decision. Now, whether they'll have to pay a tuition based on difference in taxes not paid in Ono because they're in the county and what we pay as a city, that is up to the school board to decide and come up with what that tuition would be. We want them here, just like Fort Morgan."
The Orange Beach City Council voted March 15 to create a new city school system. The resolution was added to the council agenda at the meeting and passed unanimously without discussion.
Kennon said after the March 30 meeting that the issue had been discussed at a council retreat that was open to the public. He said officials felt the city needed to move quickly to be able to make the spilt before the start of the new school year.
"We were in a council retreat, a public council retreat and in that retreat, we talked about our principal retiring, our head coach gone, athletic director gone and the position that puts us in by not doing it delaying it," Kennon said. "How did it affect people that were hired? How did it affect our kids? How did it affect the direction we want to go? How did it affect the decision to get off the bench? We decided to do it. At 2:30 that day, we decided to add it. We'd been in discussions for months."
Councilwoman Annette Mitchell said the time was right to create a new system.
"We have been debating this ever since I have been on the council," she said. "I am proud to tell you that this group is rarely unanimous from the get-go," Mitchell said.
"None of this is premature. But, when the opportunity arose, we knew it was the right time. And I am very proud to say this is the right time for Orange Beach city schools," she added.
In 2014, Orange Beach voters rejected a proposal to pass a property tax to pay for a new city school system. Kennon said he and other officials felt that many voters opposed a property tax, not a city school system.
"It was voted down. So, we accepted that, but that, in our minds, didn't necessarily mean that we didn't need a city school system," Kennon told the audience. "There were so many people out there, and you know who you are, who told me 'I cannot vote for a property tax. I'm not against the city system. I just can't vote for a property tax increase.' I understand. There's nothing wrong with your perspective. It's fair. But, if you remember, those of you who were here, it was the Hatfields and the McCoys. It was very ugly, very divisive and there are still people today with hard feelings toward others. We decided if we went that route again toward moving to the city system, we would never put our community through it. So, we made that decision. The wrath of the voters is on us. If, for whatever reason, if that doesn't agree with the majority of this city, we will be held accountable at the next election, and you can change the leadership."
Councilman Jeff Silvers said the new system has much less opposition than previous efforts to create an Orange Beach school system in 2007 and 2013.
"I'm just amazed, being involved in the last two contentious splits, how well thi

Orange Beach, school system