Public Hearing To Discuss The Opportunities and Issues Related To The Potential Establishment Of A Pelham City School Sy

1. Public Hearing To Discuss The Opportunities and Issues Related To The Potential Establishment Of A Pelham City School System June 17, 2013

2. Public Hearing Agenda 1. Introduction and Objectives 2. Current Environment3. Opportunities for Improvement4. Issues to Consider During Evaluation5. Funding for the Potential Pelham School System6. Summary 7. Discussion, Questions and Feedback

3. High-Level Issues • We are losing a number of our great educators to nearby school districts that offer slightly higher salaries, fewer classes each day, fewer students in their classes and better working conditions. • We compete with some of the best schools in Alabama and our students have to compete with their students on all levels. • The schools located in Pelham are very poorly located for many Pelham residents and the SCBOE has stated that they cannot consider this issue for at least three to five years. • Some schools need extensive maintenance and cleaning. • Real estate professionals are steering young families away from Pelham and many current residents have moved or are considering moving to neighboring areas – this is clearly having an economic impact on our city. • Pelham’s economy is very interrelated with our schools and just the possibility of improving our schools has generated additional interest/excitement from developers. • Interest rates are very likely to continue increasing over the next few years so we have a window of opportunity to consider how we can best turn around the current momentum and minimize the impact. • Any solution has to consider the Pelham children participating in certain programs and currently attending schools in Chelsea. 9. There could be significant benefit from keeping more of our taxes in Pelham and determining the priorities for our children and schools including how these decisions impact the city as a whole.

4. Map of Pelham and Related Schools

5. Travel To Riverchase From Chelsea Area

6. Travel To Riverchase From Ballantrae

7. Pelham Children Attending SCBOE Schools

8. Valley Elementary

9. Valley Elementary Campus Valley Elementary is not at a good location to serve the entire city and is squeezed into a small campus. The aging cafeteria is on the far south end of the school and the one ball field was replaced with a bus parking lot as part of the 2010 addition.

10. Valley Elementary Playground The bordering neighborhood leaves basically no significant area for the redevelopment of this campus that is only slightly more than half the size of the other primary school campuses in Pelham.

11. Valley Intermediate

12. Valley Intermediate - Portables

13. Valley Intermediate – Another Portable

14. Linda Nolen Learning Center

15. Linda Nolen Learning Center

16. Riverchase Middle Very bad location even for most who live relatively close because of traffic patterns – also in need of general maintenance Application & Database Design and Development E-Government Applications & Systems Integration Information Security & Risk Management Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity Planning

17. Riverchase Middle Application & Database Design and Development E-Government Applications & Systems Integration Content Management Solutions Information Security & Risk Management Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity Planning

18. Riverchase Middle – Main Entrance Application & Database Design and Development E-Government Applications & Systems Integration Content Management Solutions Information Security & Risk Management Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity Planning

19. Pelham High Application & Database Design and Development E-Government Applications & Systems Integration Content Management Solutions Information Security & Risk Management Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity Planning

20. Pelham High

21. Pelham High Application & Database Design and Development E-Government Applications & Systems Integration Content Management Solutions Information Security & Risk Management Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity Planning

22. Pelham High Application & Database Design and Development E-Government Applications & Systems Integration Content Management Solutions Information Security & Risk Management Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity Planning

23. Pelham High Application & Database Design and Development E-Government Applications & Systems Integration Content Management Solutions Information Security & Risk Management Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity Planning

24. Pelham High

25. Pelham High

26. Pelham High

27. Pelham High

28. Pelham Children Attending SCBOE Schools

29. Pelham Population and Growth Trends • Since 2000, no new school has been built in Pelham although the city has grown significantly. • During this time, two new schools have opened in Calera, Chelsea and Helena. • A third new elementary school is currently under construction in Chelsea and a new high school is currently under construction in Helena.

30. Potential Opportunities for Improvement Programs that allow for strong collaboration and integration among all Pelham schools and provide a seamless transition for students as they move from one school to the next school Development programs that focus on our students’ specific needs and efforts to ensure that our schools serve both our students and our community as a whole Programs to increase our students’ confidence with the technology that they will likely need after graduation – encourage the integration of new devices in the learning experience for more real world training As a smaller city system, we would be eligible for more technology grants and could investigate providing students e-readers/tablets or laptops via grants - adding e-reader textbooks as books need to be replaced would be a very viable option for keeping textbook costs low and some systems are awarding tablets and laptops to students based on attending those first days of school when attendance establishes funding Community Career Fair with local businesses and professionals invited into the high school each February to review student resumes, share about their careers, conduct mock interviews or real interviews offering internships and real job opportunities if they feel so inclined Incorporate our Fine Arts programs into the community by having a community theatre and a Pelham Arts Council

31. More Potential Opportunities More AP classes, an ACT prep class during 7th period study time at school and the ability to allow teachers and teacher leaders an opportunity to create curriculum based on Quality Core (ACT) standards resulting in higher ACT scores and more scholarship money for our students Community service opportunities that pair high school kids with younger students for reading tutoring or homework help after school Working together as a community to pair our high school students with our senior citizens for the Legacy Project and other opportunities for our generations to work together for the good of our entire community Dual enrollment with local colleges Design and development initiative for a new K-5 elementary school for east of I-65 (very likely on Hwy 11) - reevaluate dedicated Weatherly/Ballantrae property Redesign and convert Valley Elementary to an enlarged K-5 facility and campus Consider the enlargement and conversion of Valley Intermediate to a much more centrally located middle school Complete significant maintenance and cleaning efforts for Pelham High School, also consider other opportunities to improve faculty, staff and student pride in their school Potentially include a central office at PHS for a Pelham City School System Evaluate options to sell Riverchase Middle School

32. Sample Elevation of New K-5 School

33. Sample New K-5 School Campus Layout

34. Potential Revisions for Valley Elementary

35. Valley Intermediate Potential Conversion

36. Some Issues to Consider During Evaluation Child nutrition, special education services (including gifted and Advanced Placement instruction), psychometrist and testing services including test preparation, career/technical education, fine arts, extracurricular activities, after school care, summer camp and use of facilities for community education offerings The use of the Linda Nolen Learning Center as a special needs school in partnership with the Alabaster and Shelby County School System Ongoing vocational training for enrolled Pelham students Teacher/administration training programs Opportunities for teachers, administrators and other support staff

37. Rumors and Myths Pelham would have to buy the schools located in Pelham Pelham would have to take money away from city employees and services to fund a city school system Pelham does not have the tax base (property or sales) to have its own city school system Everything is still great at our schools This is about power and money (it is about the children of Pelham and absolutely the city as a whole) All of the Chelsea area (Pelham) students are going to be forced to go to “Pelham Schools” this August when we vote for a Pelham School System tonight Pelham would need the Pelham students attending Chelsea schools to make a school system work for the rest of Pelham Pelham has the best of both worlds because we receive taxes from 36 and 336 residents but do not have to fund the schools the related children attend

38. Pelham Kids Attending Chelsea Schools There is no statute expressly prohibiting children who live within a city with a city school system from attending county schools. Children living within city limits of a city school system are not statutorily prohibited from attending county schools (Phenix City Bd. of Educ. v. Teague, 515 So. 2d 971). We would not recommend that any of the Pelham kids living in the 36 and 336 area and currently attending Chelsea Schools transfer to schools in Pelham. If a Pelham School System is established, we would recommend that the applicable residents have the ability to be included at some point in the future if it eventually makes sense. The Shelby County Board of Education would have to approve the related children continuing to attend the Chelsea area schools.

39. Alabaster Transition Plan

40. Review of Feasibility Study Findings

41. Pelham 1% Schools Sales Tax Alternative

42. Review of Feasibility Study Findings

43. Debt That Would Be Assumed

44. Review of Feasibility Study Findings

45. Summary • We have the opportunity to significantly improve our programs and greatly enhance our facilities, which history shows should greatly benefit the city as a whole • There are issues that would have to be addressed to make this positive in both the short-term and long-term • With the funds available today, a Pelham City School Board should have some, but minimal additional money to improve programs focused on our specific needs • With the money that would be available via an additional 1-cent sales tax (putting us even with our neighbors), we would have the opportunity to significantly enhance our facilities and programs helping to change how we compete for residents and businesses • Many people talk about our issues, but overlook the interdependencies between issues • We have to decide if we want the status quo or if an economic turnaround is an important objective

46. Discussion, Questions and Feedback