Editor:

In the last two years, the Baldwin County School Board has experienced a $61 million loss in revenue. (That’s nearly ¼ of our entire budget.) $49 million has been lost through state budget cuts ( proration and budget shortfalls). Millions more have been lost to decreased property values and appeals. We’re not alone. 57 out of 131 systems in the state are in the same situation and will be forced to ask their citizens for help.

To deal with these shortfalls, the school board has done its work to cut expenses. Over the past two years, we have cut close to 350 jobs, closed two schools, cut central office expenses by $2.5M, and have already cut programs like sports, band, art, and chorus in many schools. We have nurses, art teachers, and band teachers who are shared by three to four schools. We have parents and firefighters serving lunches; and we have principals waxing floors. We have children with special needs who are forced to mainstream into regular classrooms because we don’t have the aids to accommodate them.

If the March 23 referendum does not pass, we will see an immediate impact on our schools and the quality of education in Baldwin County. Over the next three years, an additional 400 jobs will be lost. (The Baldwin County School system is one of the largest employers in the county. Imagine the economic impact this will have to our area!) Class sizes will increase, opportunities will decrease. More schools will close and our coveted county wide accreditation will be at risk. Without extracurriculars, drop-out rates will soar, and crime rates will soar along with them. You see, programs like band and sports keep our kids in school, keep them interested, and give them opportunities they may not have otherwise had. These programs teach them life lessons, how to be part of something bigger than themselves. They teach them discipline, order, and self worth. Without additional revenues, sports programs, band programs, career tech programs, and art programs will fall by the wayside. By the end of 2010, our system will be $5M in debt, $17M by the end of 2011, and $31M by the end of 2012. What has taken Baldwin County years to build will take only months to tear down and decades to repair.

Whether young or old, we will all feel the impact. Business, industry, and families will relocate to pro-education areas. Our city and county leaders will struggle to attract economic interest to Baldwin County. Who will be willing to move their family to a county where education is sub-standard? They will have a choice, and they will not choose Baldwin County. 

Regardless of the wording on the ballot, the Baldwin County Board of Education has unanimously passed a resolution that stipulates how the revenues will be spent. The board is not only BOUND by the resolution, but is also DEDICATED to it. Items 1-5 of the resolution clearly state that additional revenues will be spent on critical needs of the classroom including, nurses, cafeteria workers, teachers, aids, etc. It is our intention, first and foremost to restore the integrity of our schools and our classrooms, and restore the quality of education and safety that our children need and deserve.  Item No. 6 states that the board will work towards restoring an acceptable fund balance required by state law. NONE of the 1 percent sales tax dollars will be spent on construction or capital improvements, and NONE of the 1 percent sales tax will be sent out of Baldwin County as part of equity funding. 100 percent stays here.

PLEASE vote pro-education on March 23 and vote pro-education in November.

Angie Swiger,

Vice President,

Baldwin County Board of Education