Editor:

The Fairhope City Council approved funding of the feasibility study at last week’s council meeting. They added it to the agenda at 5:55 p.m. after the work session.

We all agree we want what is best for our children. My main concern is that there is a possibility that my children could be excluded from a new city school system. If so, my children would be bused over 35 miles a day to Foley, to attend school.

The residents outside of the city limits have approximately 600 children at J. Larry Newton School, and 480 children attend the Fairhope Middle and High Schools. This does not include the children that are currently attending Fairhope Intermediate and Elementary Schools and the Fairhope K-1 Center who live outside the city limits. There are approxiatmately 4,200 children in the Fairhope Feeder Pattern; 1,900 of them live outside the city limits and only 2,300 of the children live in the city limits. The children outside the city limits account for almost one-half of the current Fairhope Feeder Pattern.

It would be devastating to this community and especially our children, if a new city school system did not include the children outside of the current city limits. And YES, it can happen!!

I will use Stapleton as an example. Their children are not allowed to attend the new middle or high school in Spanish Fort. The children are being bused 36 miles a day to the schools in Bay Minette. This has had a profound effect on the community of Stapleton. Most of the parents work in Mobile, so it has caused a huge problem for parents to attend extracurricular activities such as sports, band, church activities and PTO meetings. Parent participation is almost impossible because of the distance they have to drive. To make matters worse, there is a huge possibility that the Stapleton Elementary School will be closed. This would mean kindergarteners thru 6th-graders would be bused to Bay Minette. What if that was your child or grandchild?

Please make it imperative that Dr. Harvey’s study includes all the children in the current Fairhope Feeder Pattern. I would also like to ask for the study to state any alternatives to annexation of Barnwell, Marlow, Point Clear, Montrose and Twin Beech that would allow those areas to be included in the city schools.

I believe that each council member has the interest of all residents of Fairhope, which includes all families north, south, east and west of Greeno Road. I ask for each council member to please join with me in my concerns of keeping this wonderful community of Fairhope what it is today. Please do not support a new city school system that does not include al of the children in our community.

The bigger picture here tonight is that our schools need our help now! They need our support for a temporary countywide 1-cent sales tax. Please contact Commissioner David Ed Bishop with your support of the sales tax. There will be a joint session of the Baldwin County Board of Education with the County Commissioners on Friday, Dec. 11 at 9 a.m. in Robertsdale. I would like to ask everyone here tonight to please attend. Numbers speak volumes.

Fairhope