By Sarah Stephens
Elmore Autauga News
Editor’s Note: We are aware of rumors that Autaugaville School may be closed. According to the ACBOE, there has been no official announcement of the school’s closure, though it has been discussed for years. The information in this article is specific to Autaugaville being named a Priority School and an upcoming meeting with parents and the ACBOE.
There will be a meeting held at Autaugaville School in the Media Center on Thursday, Feb. 6 from 6 to 7 p.m. to discuss the school being designated as a Priority School and what that means for students and their parents.
Autaugaville School has been designated a Priority School as defined by an Alabama law known as The Alabama Accountability Act. The Accountability Act creates a refundable income tax credit to reimburse Alabama taxpayers who are the parents of students enrolled in or assigned to attend a failing K-12 public school to offset the cost of transferring the student to a nonfailing public or nonpublic school of the parents’ choice.
Autaugaville Parents have been contacted by Superintendent Woodfin through a school call-out, called by district personnel twice, and sent a letter explaining all the details. Still, ACS wants to ensure they understand their options moving forward.
According to information found on www.alabamapolicy.org this act creates education flexibility from certain state requirements for existing public schools, establishes a tax credit scholarship program, and institutes refundable tax credits for parents of students in failing K-12 public schools. The Accountability Act brings Alabama in line with 12 other states that provide educational tax credits and tax credit scholarships. The Accountability Act is a significant step towards improving the educational outcomes of students in failing schools.
You can view more information at https://alabamapolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/2013-Alabama-Accountability-Act-GTI.pdf
Parents of students at the school should have already received information concerning the meeting Feb. 6.
Priority School Meeting
Please join Superintendent Woodfin on February 6 from 6 to 7 p.m. to discuss Autaugaville’s Priority School status for the upcoming school year, including the options available to families, bus transportation, possible tax credits, and the Student Transfer Form mailed to each student. Following the presentation, families will have the opportunity to ask questions about any part of the process.
Form Assistance
All families of the school should complete one Student Transfer Form per child. If you need assistance, please stop by the school on Feb. 6 from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. District personnel will be available in the school’s Media Center to help explain the form options, discuss the proposed school zone map, collect completed forms, or provide additional copies.
Questions?
If you have any questions about any of this information, please contact Rebecca Thomas at (334) 365-5706 ext. 1020 or at [email protected]
