By Sarah Stephens
Elmore Autauga News
Photos by Sarah Stephens and ACBOE
In the Autauga County Board of Education’s public campaign in 2024, residents were told that without increasing property taxes, school closures could be in the future. Voters overwhelmingly rejected the additional tax increase.
The Autauga County Board of Education made the decision unanimously Wednesday evening to close the doors of Autaugaville School at the end of this school year. However, it involved many more issues and was “gut wrenching” to make the final decision. It was not based primarily on funding. It is the overall projected decrease in enrollment for next year, the lack of teachers, serious academic issues and more that swayed the board into a unanimous decision. It was more than a business decision, Supt. Lyman Woodfin said. Most of all, Woodfin and board members agreed that keeping students in a Priority School, with little to no electives, enough teachers and staff or AP courses is doing them a disservice in the long run.
In multiple discussions during board meetings over the past months, it was made clear that with these issues, it was the best decision for the board and the students, who will be transferred to Prattville and Billingsley schools. Many parents have already turned in forms to transfer their children, with more promising to do so by the March 1 deadline.
Woodfin said the decision is data driven, and even with additional funding given to Autaugaville School to pay for teachers and staff, reading and math coaches, with low enrollment numbers and poor academic scores, there are no other options.
Several Board members Wednesday night said the job of the school system is to offer the best educational opportunity, with a wide range of classes and electives, to each student. They agreed that continuing to keep the school open is not helping Autauga School students, and in fact could be damaging for their academic future.
After the vote, several board members said they had struggled with this decision, but in the end, it is in the best interest of Autaugaville students to be absorbed in other schools for more opportunities, achievements, electives and preparation for the rest of their lives.
Woodfin said he had spoken with teachers and staff at the school about the possibility of closing the school in advance of the vote. He is determined to keep as many of the teachers as possible, particularly those with tenure, in the system. Woodfin said he could not say with any certainty what would happen to non-tenured teachers at this time. His strong stance went against the Board attorney’s advice, which was to consider it a RIF, or reduction In force.
“I just could not do that,” Woodfin said. “We have teachers and staff that have worked at the school for years and are dedicated. That was not something I am even willing to consider.”
Woodfin said Autaugaville School is part of his family’s history, as both his father and grandfather taught at the school many years ago. Woodfin grew up in, and graduated from, Marbury schools. He served as an educator, assistant principal and principal in Autauga County schools until he was selected as Superintendent less than two years ago.
“When I interviewed for this job, I never imagined we would be dealing with having to close one of our schools,” he said today to the EA News. “It has been a struggle and very difficult for everyone.”
In a release sent to the EA News, it reads, “Autaugaville School was named a Priority School by the Alabama State Department of Education after earning a 59/F on the school’s most recent state report card. While some students show academic progress, several entire grade levels have single-digit students performing on grade level. Currently, Autaugaville School only has 241 students in grades K-12; however, as part of the state requirements for being a priority school, the district must provide transportation to a non-priority school for families choosing to take this option. Factoring in families that have already returned the forms to participate, the maximum projected enrollment was 217, with a more realistic number of possibly 180-190 students. This is significant because once a school falls below 200 students, the district doesn’t receive state funding for support staff positions such as assistant principal, counselor, and media specialists.”
This year the board tried to offer 11th and 12th graders at Autaugaville School more opportunities for education not available to them already. Each school day they are bused to the Autauga County Technical Center and Prattville High for half of the day to allow more options.
The only person to address the board before the vote was Marquis Forge of Autaugaville. He is the CEO and Founder of MRaine Industries and Eleven86 Artesian Water. He said he graduated in the mid-90s from Autaugaville, went on to earn his degree, was successful and came home to help his hometown. He is proof that anyone from Autaugaville can do great things. He attended multiple community meetings, and understands the challenges, but was hopeful Autaugaville School could be saved.
Autauga County currently pays ten mills of ad valorem school taxes, which are credited to the system’s local funding. The district is ranked near the bottom as 128 out of 138 school systems in the state when totaling all funding including federal, state and local monies available.
Superintendent Woodfin confirmed that the district had done everything within its power to avoid this fate. Still, the challenges were too great, given the contributing factors. “We understand that this decision is a difficult one, and we deeply care about how it will impact students, families, and staff. Our focus will be on ensuring that all students have the necessary resources and support to continue their education at another district school. We remain committed to delivering a high-quality education for all students across the district.”
With just a few months left in the school year, this closure will have a near-immediate impact, so efforts are being made to assist students in transitioning to Billingsley and Prattville schools while also providing employees with support, including options for reassignment to other schools within the district, where possible. Superintendent Woodfin said, “I refuse to RIF our schools. I believe in treating people right,” going against attorney advice on such matters. A RIF is an industry acronym that stands for reduction in force, a situation that essentially means permanently cutting jobs within the school system to reduce costs.
Additional information will be shared with students, families, and staff to ensure that the process is carried out with the utmost care and respect for everyone involved.
