TUSCALOOSA COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVED A NEW MIDDLE SCHOOL IN NORTHPORT
Northport’s City Leaders and many residents want a 6th thru 8th grade Middle School in Northport.
But, Monday, the Tuscaloosa County School Board Of Education voted unanimously to build a 5th and 6th grade Middle School near Tuscaloosa County High School.
“So, I ask you, please make a decision for what is best for our children and our teachers and not whats best for an individual” says Northport Resident Heather Dill.
The Tuscaloosa County School Board Meeting was filled with parents and Northport City Leaders, asking the
Board to reconsider the plan to spend $24 Million to build a new 5th and 6th grade Middle School, instead of a
6th, 7th and 8th grade Middle School, they say was promised them to 9 years ago.
Northport City Leaders main concerns are continued growth and traffic issues.
After hearing the concerns from residents, the Board voted unanimously to approve it’s original plan and build a
5th and 6th grade Middle School.
“I’m very upset that they went ahead and voted on it and didn’t listen. Its very typical of what they do” says Northport Resident Jamie Dykes.
“It’s sad it went in that direction, its not what the residence wanted, its what they decided to do, it’s a capacity problem, not the needs and concerns of the parents or the students” says District 4, Northport City Councilman Robby Davis.
“They didn’t present and factual data. They gave very generic responses to the concerns that were presented several weeks ago, not at any point did Dr. Davie actually address specific ways that this is going to benefit our kids academically, socially, athletically, he was very generic” says Dill.
“We have worked on this a very long time, we have engaged Northport City Leaders, we had community meetings back in the spring, we talked, we listened, we’ve done a lot of work on this. We looked at some many different scenarios” says Tuscaloosa County School Superintendent Dr. Walter Davie.
The current plan is Northport Elementary and Huntinginton Place will become Pre-K through 4th grade.
Crestmont, Matthews, Flatwoods, and Faucett Vestavia would also become Pre-K through 4th.
The new Middle School would become a 5th and 6th, serving students from Huntington Place and Flatwoods, while Collins Riverside would become a 5th and 6th serving students from Crestmont, Matthews, and Faucett Vestavia.
Echols Middle School would become a 7th and 8th grade.
Four Elementary Schools and 2 Middle Schools that feed into Tuscaloosa County High School are over capacity, Portables have been added.
“We’ve got to get something in motion, it takes over 2 years to construct a school and we’re going to have a very good facility in place” says Dr. Davie.
Northport will hold a Public Forum next Tuesday at City Hall at 7 P.M.
They will be discussing the new Middle School and the possibility of Northport creating it’s own school system.
