The North Mobile Post

    With two more cities leaving the Mobile County Public School System in 2012, the county has decided to slightly alter its tuition policy for out of district students. Mobile County’s current tuition rate for out of district students is $2,000. According to a report from Fox 10 News the county is raising the rate by $200. Other policies remain in place, such as out of system students having their own transportation.

    The move comes as Satsuma and Chickasaw finalized deals to form their own school systems. Students in those cities will be subject to the tuition fees next school year if they wish to go to a Mobile County Public School. The same applies to students in Saraland, which formed its own school system a few years ago.

    Satsuma is working on a tuition policy of their own. Right now it is scheduled to be $650. The policy is waived for students who are Juniors at Satsuma High School so they can finish their Senior year. Satsuma’s policy decision was critical because many students in Creola and Axis attended schools in the city.

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    Letters and recordings are once again going out to parents in our area with school age children. A rezoning meeting is scheduled for March 26 at North Mobile Middle School for all Satsuma High School students who received a rezoning letter. The meeting will take place at 6:00 PM. The principal of Citronelle High School will be on hand for the meeting. The athletic director, Mr. Billy Gardner, will be there to discuss athletic issues that may arise for those that transfer over.

    With Satsuma breaking away from Mobile County most of Creola has been rezoned to Citronelle High School. Though the details of that split are not final, it appears Mobile County is rushing to discuss alternatives with students who may not be able to attend Satsuma schools anymore. Affected parents should attend each meeting that is announced, but know that no decisions have been finalized yet.

    Rumors have been running rampant the past few weeks on the school subject. It is important to disregard them as such unless it has been officially posted by the Satsuma Board of Education or the city of Satsuma. The break with Mobile County has not been as clean as most would have wished, but the light at the end of the tunnel is within sight now. In a few weeks time questions should finally start to get answered.

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    Today the Mobile County school board is set to pick three finalists for the vacant superintendent position. The three chosen will be summoned for interviews on March 26th and 27th. A vote will be held on March 30th to determine who gets the job. This is the second time the board has attempted to fill the position. Failure to do so within 180 days of the previous superintendent leaving will force the state to pick a superintendent for them.

    Former superintendent Roy Nichols retired in December. Martha Peek is currently the interim superintendent. Whoever gets the job will inherit a messy situation where three cities have fled the system in the past few years. Saraland, Satsuma, and Chickasaw all left the Mobile County Public School System in order to form their own school systems. Satsuma is currently negotiating the final details of its separation from Mobile County.

    The Mobile County system is the largest in Alabama. It has faced funding problems in the past that are only going to grow in the coming years as education funding is slashed by the state. It has a messy situation to deal with in regards to the Satsuma situation as children from Creola and Axis may be cut off from schools they planned to attend. Those children could be bused off to far away schools.

    Eugene White is reported to be one of the candidates for the position. The Alabama native has been superintendent of a school system in Indiana for a few years now. He was voted superintendent of the year twice. On the flip side, four of his schools have been taken over by the state. The Indianapolis Star reports that there is some turmoil in his school system.

    Ultimately the best idea for Mobile County might be to break up the large public school system and have more localized control like Saraland, Satsuma, and Chickasaw are planning to do. The plan seems to be working well in Saraland. Localized control of schools within the town has a better chance of keeping people satisfied with leadership. Rather than fight the wave of defections, perhaps Mobile County should start promoting it.

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    There will be a meeting tonight at the Creola Assembly of God to discuss the future of students in Creola and Axis. The meeting starts at 7:00 PM. With Satsuma leaving the Mobile County Public School System those students must be rezoned into new schools. Satsuma has not finalized the split from Mobile County yet so the method by which students from Creola and Axis may attend Satsuma schools has not yet been determined.

    Maps on the Mobile County Public Schools website show Citronelle High School expanding its zone into the Creola area. That school is likely to replace Satsuma High School as the area’s high school. Letters sent to parents in the area suggest that North Mobile Middle School is going to now cover Kindergarten through 8th grade students. Some parents have expressed concern with that idea. The thought of 5 year olds and 13 year olds riding the same buses and sharing the same school has ruffled some feathers.

    Concerned parents should attend this meeting. It will be a chance to hear Mobile County’s plan for the area, and give parents the opportunity to voice their concerns. Until the situation in Satsuma is finalized, it would be wise for parents in Creola and Axis to stay informed on the dealings of the Mobile County Public School System.

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    A Creola and Axis school zone meeting will be held this Thursday at the Creola Assembly of God. The meeting will be held to discuss the rezoning of students in Creola and Axis who will still be attending the Mobile County Public School System. With Satsuma and Saraland leaving the Mobile County school system, students in the northern towns lost a lot of the local schools they had been accustomed to attending. Satsuma is still working on its separation from Mobile County and how transfers will work has yet to be determined.

    Potential rezoning maps have shown Citronelle High School’s area being extended into Creola and Axis. There has also been talk of North Mobile Middle School extending to cover grades K-8. These topics are sure to be discussed at the meeting on Thursday. Concerned parents should attend to find out any additional information. The Creola Assembly of God is located at 9580 Old Hwy. 43 in Creola.

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    When the Satsuma Board of Education is seated on June 7 they will have a big issue on their hands. In an interview with Fox 10 News, Mayor Bill Stewart said the fate of Satsuma students in Creola and Axis will be a top priority for the new school board. To the relief of many Mayor Stewart said he does not think it will be a problem to allow students from the neighboring cities to attend school in Satsuma. It just may not be for free.

    There are two options being discussed at the moment. The possibility of charging tuition has been raised. The other option is called an inter-government funds transfer which involves the whole community paying to allow their students to attend Satsuma schools. The Satsuma Board of Education will have the final say on the matter.

Here is the news report from Fox 10 if you missed it.

    For those that have been following the school dilemma between Creola, Axis, and Satsuma, Fox 10 will be airing an interview tonight with the mayor of Satsuma tonight on the issue. Fox 10 News airs from 5:00PM-6:00PM and from 9:00PM-10:00PM. It has also been reported that Mobile County school board superintendent Roy Nichols contacted Satsuma High School and confirmed that nothing will be changing next year. To keep up with the latest information on this issue and the emerging Satsuma Board of Education check out their open Facebook Group by clicking here.

    Now that Satsuma has formed its own school system, high school students in Creola and Axis have been left without a school. The Mobile County School Board is contemplating rezoning the students to either Citronelle High School or Vigor High School. Those students had been going to Satsuma High School. The changes will not affect the 2011-2012 school year.

    Concerned parents should get in touch with the school board and voice their opinion. In an ideal world the students would be allowed to continue going to Satsuma. Mobile County is not likely to give up the students without a fight due to the funding they receive per student. Luckily we live in a democracy and the people of Creola and Axis have the power to determine their own fate.

    On Friday, May 20th there will be a meeting at North Mobile Middle School on Salco Road to discuss school boundaries for students in the Creola and Axis areas. The meeting comes on the heels of Satsuma pulling out of the Mobile County public school system. The meeting will run from 6:00PM to 8:00PM. You can check out the facebook page started for the event here .