April 24, 2006

To the members of the Daphne City Council and the Baldwin County Board of Education:

Reflecting on last Thursday's Board of Education meeting and the pending task of the joint committee of the Daphne City Council and the BCBE, I share these observations in hopes that we can encourage and challenge you all to work diligently for a swift and effective solution to our common problems. We cannot continue to debate and polarize our community with this issue while neighborhoods spring up all around us and teachers face the chore of packing up in preparation for yet another classroom move.

First, there are some very legitimate concerns about the current construction plans for Daphne Elementary School South with which you are already familiar. They include the limited size and footprint of the campus, the location and potential traffic problems, and the alarming number of projected students -- just to name a few. Secondly, there is some very real frustration within the Daphne community that our cries of protest have fallen on deaf ears. Last fall SEEDS sponsored a similar dialogue session involving many of the same individuals who are to be included in next week's meeting. At that time, Dr. Hollinger promised a traffic study before any construction would begin at Daphne South. Just this past week, for the first time, he indicated a traffic study had finally been completed. To our knowledge, it has yet to be shared with the City of Daphne while site work began weeks ago at Daphne South.

On the other hand, the Board of Education is clearly struggling with how to address the formidable task and financial challenge of delivering ever-increasing higher standards of instruction and service to Baldwin County's exploding student population.  The BCBE has invested heavily in research and planning to accommodate future growth and has involved community leaders in many of these activities. Unfortunately, while such efforts have been under way, dissatisfaction in Daphne has continued to simmer regarding a number of issues relative to the management of our schools, and the City Council felt compelled to fund a feasibility study on the possibility of establishing a separate district, even considering legal action against BCBE to make their concerns heard. I know you all are well informed about these developments, but I trust this new joint committee will enter into serious dialogue to better understand and appreciate one another's position.

The point I would especially like to make in this communication relates to Board member Bob Callahan's comment regarding his lone dissenting vote against the formation of this committee. He said he felt the situation should be dealt with by administrative staffers and should not include members of the Board. Reflecting on that alternative (i.e., administrative staffers solely being charged with making a decision relative to the Daphne South plans), it  seems to me staff opinions would necessarily be limited to the school district's "side of the story."

The fact is the Baldwin County Board of Education can legally do anything they choose regarding school construction and grade configurations in Daphne. And while they have made some strong arguments for a K-6 configuration, to me, nothing but economies of scale seems to support their decision to consolidate our elementary campuses and create a new facility for 1100 students. We have to conclude, then, that their "side of the story" would be most heavily weighted by budgetary concerns. (Note: I would challenge that a long- range cost analysis might indicate that any resulting savings could actually be negated by increased transportation costs as more students are bussed in from East Daphne and by other logistical challenges of the site.)

Now there is nothing wrong with saving money. In fact, there is much to be said for a government agency that is working hard to cut costs. However, if we revisit the Board of Education's mission statement -- "to prepare lifelong learners who are responsible, productive, caring citizens" -- we must question an operational philosophy that does not consider or address the concerns of the public. The irony of this situation is that while the legal claim and legitimate responsibility for managing the Daphne schools belongs to the Baldwin County Board of Education, their spiritual and emotional ownership certainly lies with the citizens of Daphne. As Vicky McGinty, a veteran Daphne teacher and resident put it so passionately last Thursday, "We (Daphne) love our school(s)." The reality of the situation is that these schools belong to both entities and, right now, we have differing opinions about how to deal with our growth problems.

I am sure you have all heard the old adage that, when faced with problems, one should look at them as opportunities. Well, call it what you want, here in Daphne we clearly have a problem and an opportunity. I urge the committee to listen to the concerns that have been raised by so many. I urge you to be flexible and creative in reaching a compromise. Consider keeping Daphne North and Daphne South functioning as they are and utilizing available capital construction funds to make much-needed, major improvements to both campuses (i.e., new classrooms, labs, a library and administrative space at Daphne South; a new cafeteria, library and air-conditioning for the auditorium at Daphne North).  Great strides have been made in communication between the two schools and, in spirit, they already function very similarly to the K-6 configuration BCBE is promoting.  These two campuses also contribute to and benefit significantly from Olde Towne Daphne's unique community atmosphere, and maintaining that experience for our children is priceless to those of us who live here.

Then, we should look into implementing the new 1 percent impact fee to fund an additional elementary school further east where demand will continue to increase.  SEEDS has already begun work to encourage stronger, more effective relationships between all the Daphne schools and would welcome the opportunity to help enlist support from Daphne citizens for growth-related plans that successfully incorporate the expressed goals and values of our community.

We at SEEDS stand ready and willing to assist in this important conversation, and we look to our elected leaders for sound, responsive guidance and decision-making.

Ruth C. Seawell
SEEDS President