It wasn't the first time the Franklin County Board of Education fielded a request to consider splitting Red Bay School into two schools, but what board members heard last week was the most detailed presentation they've received.
Two Red Bay parents, Miranda Smith and Sheri Farris, asked the board to split the school into Red Bay Junior High School and Red Bay High School. At the heart of their reasoning was the vast overcrowding of the Red Bay Media Center, used by 795 students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade with only one librarian on staff.
With two campuses, each would have its own librarian, easing what the parents described as “serious overcrowding.”
At 795 students (pre-K through 12th grade), Red Bay is Franklin County's largest school. Phil Campbell (781 students) and Tharptown (735) are split into a high school and junior high, each with a librarian. Belgreen (447), Vina (327) and East Franklin Junior High (229) are all one school with one media center and one librarian.
According to statistics provided by Farris, Red Bay has 658 students participating in the Franklin County Accelerated Reading Program. Compare that to Phil Campbell (303), Belgreen (176) and Vina (145), and Smith believes the numbers speak for themselves.
“Even if you split Red Bay into two schools, we will still have more users than any school in the county,” Smith said.
Smith, who volunteers as an aide at the Red Bay School Library, said time demands for library usage are so great that each student is limited to 30 minutes of library access each week. And that time is often shared with another class. For example, from 11-11:30 a.m. each Tuesday, the library is occupied by a high school class and a kindergarten class concurrently.
If a student's library day is missed for any reason, it can not be made up.
“There's just very little free time in the school. If students miss their scheduled time, they don't get the chance to check out even one book,” Smith said. “We do the best we can, but we can't let them come in as much as we'd like to allow them to.”
Gary Williams, superintendent of education for Franklin County Schools, said when the system changed to AdvancED standards, it lost not only a few librarian aide positions but also some counselor units. That resulted in Red Bay librarian Stacey Jackson working with no aide and no paid assistant.
Williams acknowledged the need for more manpower in the media center, but he's not sure that splitting the school is a necessary, or feasible, solution.
“When Mike [Shewbart] became a board member, he asked about the chance of splitting Red Bay School,” Williams said. "It's harder now because we're not under 'No Child Left Behind.'
“We'll first have to look at the negative points of splitting the school, where it would take from counselor and assistant principal positions. But I do see a need there [in the media center] and ask that you let us explore our options and get with Mr. Sparks and see what can be done.”
Farris asked whether adding a library aide position this semester would be possible.
“There is an option for half an aide," Williams said. "We might be able to do that. We see you have a need for that."
Red Bay students checked out 15,454 items last school year. Since August of 2014, 838 new books have been added and 10,874 items have been checked out. In addition to her duties of entering new books into the system, Jackson is also charged with pulling requested materials for teachers; checking out books to students; ordering, repairing and purging books; managing classes in the library; and cleaning the bathroom and floors.
While Smith realizes a split of Red Bay School is unlikely, she plans to remain active, along with Farris, who serves as president of the Red Bay PTO, at future board meetings until some action is taken.
“We're hoping for anything, but splitting the schools carries other advantages,” Smith said. “And it would help the library, which is our main issue.”
In other action, the board:
•Rescinded action taken at its January 27, 2015 meeting, when board member compensation was approved at $600 per month. Board member compensation in the amount of $550 per month was approved in accordance with Alabama Code 16-1-26, which requires the board to approve compensation annually.
•Approved out-of-state trips for: Vina High School softball to Tremont, MS on March 16; Red Bay High School softball to Iuka, MS on March 19; RBHS golf teams to Iuka on April 14; RBHS golf teams to Corinth, MS on April 16; and Phil Campbell High School baseball team to Collinwood, TN on March 28.
•Approved homebound pay for Kevin Lacey at $20 per hour, as a JAG specialist to provide homebound services for a student.
•Approved personnel items including:
-Ed Garcia, Jason Tiffin, Brad Ivy, Teddy Humphres and Fred Netherly as volunteer coaches at RBHS.
-The retirement of Judy Fancher, elementary teacher at Red Bay School, effective February 1.
-Resignation of Tommy Wells, custodian at PCHS, effective January 20, 2015.
-Ginger Cole, temporary elementary teacher at RBHS, effective February 11
-Resignation in supplement of Theresa Garrard as PCHS junior high cheerleader coach, Lorie Dorroh as PCHS varsity cheerleader coach, effective upon replacement or July 1, 2015; Ashley Motes as a substitute teacher.
The Franklin County Board of Education will hold its next meeting March 24 at 5:15 p.m., with work session beginning at 5 p.m.
