Escambia School Board Moves Forward On Closing Carver/Century K-8 School
January 21, 2009
The Escambia County School Board voted to move forward with a plan that will close Carver/Century K-8 School at the end of this school year at a Tuesday night meeting where a small number of Century residents quietly protested and spoke out of favor of the school.
“Have you done everything that you could have done to keep the school open?” Century Council member Henry Hawkins asked the board. “The answer is no, you have not…If you close the school, you kill a community.”
Superintendent Malcolm Thomas called for the closure due to declining enrollment and to save funds; the district has been loosing up to $1 million a year to keep the school open, Thomas said.
The board’s actual vote was to redistrict the students from Carver/Century to attend Bratt Elementary and Ernest Ward Middle School. That redistricting must be advertised for 28 days; the board will have their final vote on the new districts on March 17.
The vote was 3-2 to move forward with advertising the redistricting plan. Board members Bill Slayton, who represents District 5 where Carver/Century is located, and Linda Moultrie voted against the proposal. Jeff Bergosh, Gerald Boone and Patty Hightower voted for the superintendent’s plan.
Century Mayor Freddie McCall pleaded with the district to keep the school open for at least three more years so that community leaders could work to improve the school without the “cloud of closure hanging over our heads”.
“I just want to plead with you to look at our situation,” McCall told the board. “We are unique.” The mayor said his town’s geographic distance from Bratt and Ernest Ward, coupled with the lack of adequate transportation of many Century residents, will present a problem for the district.
“Most of our parents don’t have a car at home,” McCall said. “If their child is sick, how are they going to come to school to get them?”
Century resident Annie Savage (pictured left) told the board that she was upset when she read on NorthEscambia.com that without the benefit of state averaging rule for small schools, Carver/Century’s school grade would have been a “D”, not a “B”.
“What side of your mouth are you going to talk out of?” Savage asked Thomas. “It is discrimination. They are taking from our community and giving to the other community. It is time for us to take action.”
The school board discussed the proposed redistricting for about 20 minutes Tuesday night, with each board member and the superintendent explaining their viewpoint.
“I am not going to speak about the impact on Century,” Slayton said, “I am very concerned about the students and what this will do to them educationally.”
Slayton said that the school’s letter grade was not important to him, rather he was impressed by the school showing great gains.
As for the students attending Bratt Elementary, Slayton said they would be “lost in the shuffle” when moved to a larger school. He said that while Ernest Ward Middle would offer a long list of electives and activities for the incoming Carver/Century students. “But will they have the transportation to be part of these vast opportunities?” he asked, echoing McCall’s comments about many Century parents who not have adequate transportation to get to Bratt or Walnut Hill.
“There are a lot of questions we have not been able to answer,” Slayton said. “I put the students first.”
“I have to know that we have given it our all and all,” said Moultrie. She said if Carver/Century closes “the community loses its life”.
“Nobody gets pleasure out of closing a school,” Thomas told his board. “We are all going to have to make some hard choices, not just in Century.” The district is facing mounting budget cuts, with the state legislature having just cut another $5.4 million in funding.
“The money that we are going to spend to keep it open will choke us on other facilities,” he said. “I am not going to be excited when we have to lay employees off. Unless a miracle occurs, this district is going to get a good dose of financial reality.”
Bergosh, the first board member to call for the closure of Carver/Century early last year, said that the board should be able to close the school easily based upon the excellent data provided by Thomas.
“This school is the most inefficient school in the district,” he said. “This is one we can’t afford not to do.”
Board member Hightower said that reaching the decision to support the closure had not been an easy one for her, but ultimately the closing would best serve the district.
“It is about what we can do for all the students of Escambia County,” Hightower said. “In order to keep our people employed, we are all going to have to make some tough decisions.”
Boone agreed that the closure was a tough decision, but one that would ultimately benefit the entire district.
Pictured above: Century Councilman Henry Hawkins addresses the Escambia County School Board Tuesday night in support of keeping Carver/Century K-8 open. Pictured bottom: Century resident Leola Robinson speaks in support of keeping Carver/Century open while Gerald Boone (left) and Malcolm Thomas (right) look on. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Mayor: ‘Nail In Our Coffin’ As School Board Moves To Close School
January 21, 2009
“They put the nail in our coffin tonight.”
That’s how Century Mayor Freddie McCall reacted to the Escambia County School Board voting Tuesday night to redistrict, and effectively close, Carver/Century K-8 School.
“We all knew it was going to happen,” Brenda Spencer, a member of the town’s Blue Ribbon Committee to save the school, said. “At least Bill Slayton did what he said he was going to do.” District 5 board member Bill Slayton was one of the two votes against Superintendent Malcolm Thomas’ proposal.
Redrawing Carver/Century’s attendance zone to send the students to Bratt Elementary and Ernest Ward Middle School must, according to law, be advertised 28 days in advance. The school board extended that time to their March 17 meeting.
“I remain open to possibilities between now and then,” Thomas said. He has previously said that he would accept a guaranteed $400,000 a year funding source to keep the school open.
While not required, Thomas said the board would consider holding a public hearing in Century to allow area citizens the chance to offer their input on the attendance zones.
“We would explain the data and what it says, and I’m sure we would listen to the emotional arguments,” he said. “But make no mistake, voting for this idea is putting students first. It’s not about a brick and mortar building; it is about the students.”
“I hope their next step will be to come to Century and all sit down in a city meeting,” McCall said.
“I hope we can convince them to rezone more students to go to Carver/Century,” the mayor said. He hopes that the district will consider redrawing district lines to send some number of current Bratt and Ernest Ward students to Century.
“They are not wanting to do that,” McCall said of the school board. “They are wanting to shut us down.”
Pictured top: Century Mayor Freddie McCall addresses the Escambia County School Board Tuesday night. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Reading First Program, Two North Escambia Schools Honored
January 21, 2009
The Reading First program in Escambia County has been recognized as being in the top 25% in the state of Florida. The Reading First program in North Escambia includes students at Bratt Elementary and Carver/Century K-8 School.
The schools and the 14 Reading First coaches in the district were honored Tuesday night by the Escambia County School Board.
Reading First grants assist schools to implement proven methods of reading instruction in kindergarten through fifth grade classrooms.
The reading coach at Carver/Century K-8 is Lee Cassady, and the reading coach at Bratt Elementary is Tammy Calloway. Molino Park and Byrneville elementary schools are not part of the Reading First program.
Pictured top: Lee Cassady (left), Reading First coach at Carver/Century K-8 and Tammy Calloway (right), Reading First Coach at Bratt Elementary, hard at work in their offices. Pictured above left: Bratt Principal Sheryl Pomeroy accepts the Reading First award on behalf of Bratt. Pictured below: Lee Cassady (white sweater) is congratulated by District 5 School Board member Bill Slayton Tuesday night. Submitted and NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
George Stone Outreach Bus: Learn About Career Choices
January 21, 2009
George Stone Technical Center and the Judy Andrews Center will host a Community Outreach Event in Cantonment today.
The outreach will inform the public of the different educational opportunities available for people to begin a new and rewarding career. Participants will be able to take a Career Scope program that tests their interests and aptitudes. The Career Bus will be parked outside the Winn Dixie in Cantonment, 1550 Highway 29 South from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. today.
Representatives from George Stone will be on hand to discuss the numerous programs that are available. Individuals interested in increasing job skills, starting new careers, obtaining a GED, or completing high school are encouraged to attend.
Financial aid is available for those who qualify. For more information, visit www.GeorgeStoneCenter.com or contact Joe Snyder at 941-6200, ext. 2156.
George Stone Technical Center programs include:
- Accounting Operations
- Administrative Assistant
- Automotive Collision
- Automotive Service
- Building Construction
- Carpentry & Cabinetmaking
- Correctional Officer
- CosmetologyCulinary Operations
- Digital DesignElectricity
- Gasoline Engine Service
- Law Enforcement
- Marine Service Technology
- Medical Administrative Assistant
- Network Support (CISCO)
- Patient Care Technician
- PC Support
- Web Design
- Welding Technology
Remembering A Dream And Looking To The Future
January 20, 2009
As people across the area gathered to honor the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday, the message in Century was one of both remembrance and hope.
“It is a blessing to see his dream become a reality,” Bishop Johnny Cunningham, pastor of the Beloved AFM Church of God in Selma, Ala., told those gathered to remember Dr. King in Century.
Cunningham (pictured left), a Century native, said that the community should strive to use their talents to serve before death.
“Dr. King had the dream, but we have to run with the dream,” the pastor said, adding that Dr. King’s words were for people any race, not just black Americans. “Don’t go to the cemetery with what God has deposited in you. Don’t die with the talent laying dormant inside of you.”
“What God has placed inside of you is not just for you; it is for somebody else,” he added.
Cunningham told the gathering sponsored by the Century-Flomaton Improvement Association that there is great importance in guiding young people to succeed.
“Some people have not realized that they can live above and beyond their circumstances,” the pastor said. “We can see what a great, great responsibility we have to push this generation forward…There must be something down inside of us that says ‘I can make a change’.”
“He paved the way for a lot of us,” Century Mayor Freddie McCall said of Dr. King’s legacy. King also, the mayor said, paved the way for Barack Obama to be the first black man elected president.
“We need to get behind our new president, Mr. Obama,” McCall said. “The Bible teaches us that we should honor our leaders.”
The day’s events celebrating Dr. King in Century included the presentation of award winners in Century-Flomaton Improvement Association essay contest.
First place in the essay contest went to Charles Houston, 17. Second place was awarded to Ernest Ward Middle School student Natalie Suggs, 13. Third place was given to Kassandra Lett, 17, a junior at Northview High School. Carver/Century student Azeen Grissett, 13, received an honorable mention for his essay “What Dr. King Means to Me”.
Click here for a complete photo gallery from the commemorative ceremony.
Pictured top: Participants in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Celebration join hands while singing “We Shall Overcome”. Pictured below: Essay contest winners: Azeen Grissett, honorable mention; Kassandra Lett, third place; Natasha Suggs, second place; and Charles Houston, first place. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Inauguration Diary: Reports From Washington
January 20, 2009
NorthEscambia.com will have updates on this Inauguration Day from Washington, with behind the scenes look at the sights and sounds from Washington.
In cooperation with the Pensacola Independent News, we will have reports during the day from IN staff members Sean Boone and Joani Delzen from the streets of the capital.
In their first report back from Washington last night, Boone reported it took three hours in the cold to pickup the tickets to the inaugural ceremonies from Representative Jeff Miller’s office. The two had a relative easy and calm trip to Washington, but they are expecting that to change as the day goes on.
Join us for more updates during the day here on NorthEscambia.com.
How North Escambia Voted For President
January 20, 2009
On this Inauguration Day, we thought we would look back at how the precincts in North Escambia voted in the presidential election. Of the eight precincts in North Escambia, only one — Century — had the majority of people voting for President-elect Barack Obama.
At those eight precincts in North Escambia, there were 6,311 votes cast for Republican John McCain and 2,202 cast for Democrat Obama in November.
The Century precinct at the Century Town Hall voted for Obama by a two-to-one margin. Obama received 525 votes in Century, while McCain received 320.
McCain received the vast majority of votes at the Walnut Hill precinct, 793 to 188 for Obama.
The McDavid precinct voted McCain 363 to 68 for Obama.
At the Barrineau Park Community Center, where the vast majority of Molino votes, the precinct overwhelmingly supported McCain with 2,230 to 638 for Obama.
At the Byrneville precinct, McCain recieved 500 votes while 91 people voted for Obama.
At the Quintette Community Center, there were 1,455 votes for McCain and 601 for Obama.
At the Oak Grove precinct, 297 voted for McCain and just 35 voted for Obama.
At the Bratt precinct, there were 353 votes for McCain and 56 for Obama.
NorthEscambia.com graphic.
the road to the crown Part One
January 20, 2009
Join NorthEscambia.com today through Saturday for a five part series “the road to the crown”, brought to you by Tammie’s Cuttin’ Loose and Kay Brown Photography.
We will follow 32 young ladies at Northview High School in their quest for the crown and the title of “Miss Northview High School” for 2009. We’ll introduce you to each girl and go behind the scenes for a look at a Northview High School pageant like you have never seen before.
A new installment of “the road to the crown” will be posted each morning beginning today and continuing until Saturday. Then, on Sunday morning, we’ll introduce you to the new Miss Northview High School.
The annual Miss Northview High School Pageant will be held on Saturday, January 24 at 7:00 in the school auditorium.
The pageant is sponsored by the Northview High Varsity Cheerleaders. Tickets for the pageant are sold out.
Today, we begin with a group photo of all the young ladies participating. Scroll down below the photo for their names. Click the photograph to enlarge.
“the road to the crown” is brought to you by Kay Brown Photography and Senior Portraits and Tammie’s Cuttin’ Loose Salon in Atmore.
Front row (L-R): Allie Bryan, Haley Knapp, Magen Weekley, Amber McMillan, Miss Northview High School 2008 Chelsea Sims, Kayla Hall, Deniece Jordan, Ande Gideons, and Sarah Killam. Second row: Patricia Boughner, Courtney Merritt, Lauren Cloud, Charleigh McPherson, Ashley McGhee, Ashley Snow and Courtney Cooper. Third row: Samantha Macks, Brooke Tullis, Kristina Nellums, Oliva Bryan, Amanda Sellars, Ashley White and Felicia Settle. Back row: Tabitha Steege, Heather Ward, Kolbi Cobb, Lauren Wilson, Katie Mann, Amber Holland, Summer Sanders and Caitlin Roley. Not pictured: Allison Spence and Mallory Bell. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Century Parade Honors King
January 20, 2009
The annual Century-Flomaton Improvement Association Martin Luther King Jr. Parade rolled through Century Monday morning.
The parade, honoring the late Dr. King, included about a dozen vehicles and wound through the streets of the town.
The parade ended at the Century Community Center on Highway 4 where a community service in honor of Dr. King was held.
In nearby Atmore, the Concerned Citizens of Atmore held their annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade Monday morning. Dozens of units were decorated to honor the slain civil rights leader.
A parade was also held in Flomaton to honor Dr. King on the national holiday in his honor.
Pictured above and below: Photos from the Century-Flomaton Improvement Association Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade Monday morning as it traveled through Century. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Where Are The Kids? A Look At The Numbers
January 19, 2009
Most students that live in the Carver/Century K-8 School district do not attend the school, and that’s one reason it is now slated for closure. Instead, they take advantage of the fact that the school did not make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) to attend a neighboring school or they attend the Byrneville Charter School.
The Escambia County School Board will consider moving toward the final step in closing Carver/Century at their meeting Tuesday night. One of the reasons cited by Superintendent Malcolm Thomas for closing the school is the declining enrollment.
There are 473 students zoned to attend Carver/Century. Just 210 — 44 percent –attend the school. (See the complete breakdown at the bottom of this article.)
Of elementary age children, there are 307 zoned to attend Carver/Century, but only 41 percent — 126 children — are at the Century school. More Carver/Century zoned students actually attend the Byrneville Elementary charter school, with 130 enrolled from the geographic district. Another 32 attend Bratt Elementary and six are at Molino Park. Three attend Jim Allen Elementary, and one each attend Cook Elementary, Holm Elementary and Longleaf Elementary. Another six are homeschooled.
Just a fraction over half the middle school children in the geographic Carver/Century district attend the school. Of the 166 middle school children in the zone, 84 attend Carver/Century. Another 68 are at Ernest Ward, three are at Ransom and two are at Clubbs. There is one middle school child from the district at each: Workman, Brown Barge and Oasis. One child is hospital/homebound, one is under a McKay Scholarship that allows a student with disabilities to attend a private school and four are homeschooled.
“I have no authority to restrict a parent’s choice to send their children elsewhere,” Thomas said. “They are making choices for their children.” Federal law allows students in the Carver/Century district to send their children to other schools like Bratt and Ernest Ward due to Carver/Century’s failure to meet “AYP” — adequate yearly progress. As a charter school, Byrneville Elementary has an open enrollment policy that allows almost any child to attend.
If the school board approves Thomas’ plan to redistrict Carver/Century, the school will close and the students will be in the Bratt Elementary and Ernest Ward Middle School districts.
