BAY MINETTE, Ala.—The Baldwin County Public School Board voted unanimously Thursday to close the Baldwin County Alternative School in Fairhope, effective at the end of this school year.

The move is a cost-cutting measure as the school board reportedly faces a $24 million budget deficit.

“Because of a shortfall in sales tax revenue in Alabama, Baldwin school officials are cutting $23 million from the budget this year and bracing for a $24 million defecit on top of that in September,” Baldwin County Public Schools communications director Terry Wilhite said.

It costs the system $1.5 million to operate the Alternative School, in which 60 students attend.

“The proposal calls for the students to be relocated at available classrooms at the North Baldwin Center for Technology (in Bay Minette) and (Robertsdale’s) South Baldwin Center for Technology (vocational-technical campuses) where available classrooms exist,” Wilhite said in a statement prior to the vote. “This plan is actually much better for the students because currently a student expelled from Gulf Shores or Baldwin County High School in Bay Minette has to travel to Fairhope every day for school. Relocating these students to regional alternative centers would be better for the district and the student.”

“School officials say closing the Alternative School and Vaughn Elementary in Stockton are just two steps on a very long road to saving money,” he said.

However, the board voted 4-3 to table Superintendent Faron Hollinger’s recommendation to close Vaughn to allow for a public hearing.

Board Vice President Robert Wills asked what communication the board has had with members of the community that would be affected by a decision to close the school.

See the rest of this story in the March 21 Daphne Bulletin.