Addie McCluskey
Elmore Autauga News
Lyman Woodfin, superintendent of Autauga County Schools (ACS), visited the county commission and Prattville City Council on March 17, 2026, to request a funding agreement from both entities to build a new Prattville High School (PHS) on the Central Alabama Community College (CACC) campus.
Woodfin explained that, while the ACS Board of Education does not require financial support for day-to-day operations, facility needs present significant challenges that cannot be addressed alone. With Prattville Primary School built in 1927 and Prattville Elementary, Junior High, and Intermediate schools constructed in the 1960s, many campuses are now operating beyond capacity.
“I’ve seen several comments about how the current model we have is not sustainable,” said Woodfin. “I may surprise you when I say that I completely agree with the statement.”
In collaboration with CACC President Jeff Lynn, Woodfin said constructing a new Prattville High School on the CACC campus would provide a long-term solution. The plan would enable the district to restructure feeder patterns, reduce the number of school sites, and prevent job losses.
“A new high school would allow the current high school to be used for grades five or six through eight, allowing for a total reconfiguration of the central zone feeder pattern,” said Woodfin. “It is conceivable that we could get down to three, maybe four, campuses under this plan.”
Woodfin added that repurposing existing properties could open the door for partnerships with the city, creating spaces for public events, performances, and community gatherings. However, the city’s investment is essential as the project’s cost remains a significant hurdle.
“Because bonds must be backed by sales tax or extra millage, we can only qualify for $30 to $50 million in bonds,” said Woodfin. “If there is no additional tax revenue, or if sales tax revenue does not substantially increase, we will not be able to do any more projects in Autauga County for the next 10 to 20 years, once we look at the one last project that we can afford.”
Woodfin noted that he plans to pursue grants and additional funding but is preparing for the possibility that these sources may not materialize. He requested that the council and/or commission contribute between $5 million and $6 million annually, with the school board contributing between $2 million and $3 million per year toward the project.
“We need to know pretty quickly, and I say that respectfully,” said Woodfin. “We have been talking about this project for going on a year now, and the reality is that the board is up for reelection in three years, so if you start construction today, you’re looking at three years before kids walk in the door.”
Following Woodfin’s presentation, District 1 Councilor Wade Newman shared concerns from constituents who view a new high school as a luxury rather than a necessity and asked Woodfin to respond.
“I can understand that rationale if you’re not in our world every day,” said Woodfin. “The reality is that, with the needs of the kids and everything your faculty and staff need… by the time you get done renovating, you could have built something cheaper.”
Without financial support, Woodfin said that the school board would only be able to build a new elementary or junior high school, which would not resolve issues with Prattville’s feeder patterns, as the system currently has only one high school serving the entire county.
“Everybody throws around the words ‘work force development,’” said Woodfin. “There is no better plan for workforce development than what I am giving you… this plan allows CACC and us to share staff. That changes the game in what they can offer and what we can offer.”
He explained that locating a new high school on the CACC campus would enhance workforce development opportunities by adding a military preparedness wing, expanding technical education through CACC’s Center for Excellence, and increasing access to dual enrollment with greater scheduling flexibility.
Newman also raised the possibility, voiced by constituents, of transitioning to a city school system. Woodfin responded that such a decision should be made before entering into any funding agreement.
“Changing a funding agreement midstream, that’s some of the stuff y’all read about that gets so volatile between municipalities when they go to a city system,” said Woodfin. “I’m a believer in a county system… I understand that rationale, but that’s a big discussion y’all have got to have before you should do a funding agreement.”
Following questions from the council, Woodfin concluded his presentation. Mayor Bill Gillespie then briefly addressed an additional consideration tied to the proposal.
“A component of it that we have to keep in mind is the egress and ingress into that area,” said Gillespie. “We have a study being done, and hopefully, more of that will be coming back soon.”
For previous coverage on the topic, visit Prattville Industrial Development Board discusses rumors about new high school. To learn more about the discussion, a live recording of the meeting is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgX1IOEFe0M.
