BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT)- "I think that it's ridiculous and I don't know what happening to this school system and it seems like it's deteriorating minute by minute," said Emily Walker.
Emily Walker has two children who attend Center Street Middle School. It is on the list for possible closure. Walker wants the school to stay open.
"Both of my girls are honor roll students, they're active in sports and I went here also so I know the learning process is extravagant," mentioned Walker.
The Birmingham School Board plans to bus Center Street students to Richard Arrington Jr. Middle School as well as Carver High School. Transportation to and from school will become an nightmare for Walker.
"It's kind of heartbreaking because right now I'm a nursing student. I don't know how the bus system is going to run or anything like that," mentioned Walker.
As of right now, from Emily Walker's home to Center Street Middle School, it takes her children two and half miles to get there. But if that school closes, the amount of time and mileage it takes to get Arrington Middle school will change.
She will have to add at least another mile and a half onto her trip.
Parents at Arrington Middle are also unhappy with the consolidation plans.
"The teachers, they also have a whole lot on them now, and I'm kind of worried if they don't have the one on one classroom time with the children that are here, what are the possibilities of them getting that," mentioned Angela Walton.
If the plan goes through, there will be a need for more buses. The school board plans to purchase more.
The Birmingham City Schools released the following information:
The plan calls for consolidating and reconfiguring schools across the district:
•Carver and Woodlawn high schools would add seventh and eighth grades in a school-with-a-school model. Students in the seventh and eighth grades would be in separate areas of the schools with separate staffs and administrations.
•Center Street Middle School would close, with students moving to Arrington Middle School and Carver.
•Councill Elementary School would consolidate with Bush Middle School to create a K-8 school.
•Daniel Payne Middle School would close, with sixth-graders moving to South Hampton Elementary School and seventh- and eighth-graders going to Carver.
•Hemphill Elementary School would close, with students moving to Jackson Elementary School and West End Academy.
•Norwood Elementary School would close, and students would attend Phillips Academy.
•Putnam Middle School would close, and students would move to Ossie Ware Mitchell Middle School and Woodlawn.
•North Roebuck Elementary School would close and relocate to the Martha Gaskins Middle School building. Martha Gaskins students would go to Smith and Ossie Ware Mitchell middle schools.
•Avondale Elementary School, Barrett Elementary School, Hayes K-8 School, Hudson K-8 School, Inglenook K-8 School, Oliver Elementary School and South Hampton Elementary School would become K-6 schools.
•The new Oxmoor K-8 School would open this summer as a K-5 school.
•Kennedy Alternative School would be closed and the program would be moved to the Daniel Payne Middle School building.
The proposal also includes a reduction in force, which would result in the loss of 133 positions across the district, 108 in schools and 30 in central offices. Those positions in schools would include 15 Child Nutrition Program workers, 10 teacher assistants, 17 clerical workers, two bookkeepers, 13 custodians, 15 teachers, seven principals, 15 assistant principals, seven counselors and seven library media personnel.
Central office positions that would be eliminated would include four program specialists, three clerical workers, one bookkeeper, five custodians, three data entry technicians, one director/assistant director and eight maintenance employees.
The total savings projection from the plan totals $8,018,786.21.
Emily Walker has two children who attend Center Street Middle School. It is on the list for possible closure. Walker wants the school to stay open.
"Both of my girls are honor roll students, they're active in sports and I went here also so I know the learning process is extravagant," mentioned Walker.
The Birmingham School Board plans to bus Center Street students to Richard Arrington Jr. Middle School as well as Carver High School. Transportation to and from school will become an nightmare for Walker.
"It's kind of heartbreaking because right now I'm a nursing student. I don't know how the bus system is going to run or anything like that," mentioned Walker.
As of right now, from Emily Walker's home to Center Street Middle School, it takes her children two and half miles to get there. But if that school closes, the amount of time and mileage it takes to get Arrington Middle school will change.
She will have to add at least another mile and a half onto her trip.
Parents at Arrington Middle are also unhappy with the consolidation plans.
"The teachers, they also have a whole lot on them now, and I'm kind of worried if they don't have the one on one classroom time with the children that are here, what are the possibilities of them getting that," mentioned Angela Walton.
If the plan goes through, there will be a need for more buses. The school board plans to purchase more.
The Birmingham City Schools released the following information:
The plan calls for consolidating and reconfiguring schools across the district:
•Carver and Woodlawn high schools would add seventh and eighth grades in a school-with-a-school model. Students in the seventh and eighth grades would be in separate areas of the schools with separate staffs and administrations.
•Center Street Middle School would close, with students moving to Arrington Middle School and Carver.
•Councill Elementary School would consolidate with Bush Middle School to create a K-8 school.
•Daniel Payne Middle School would close, with sixth-graders moving to South Hampton Elementary School and seventh- and eighth-graders going to Carver.
•Hemphill Elementary School would close, with students moving to Jackson Elementary School and West End Academy.
•Norwood Elementary School would close, and students would attend Phillips Academy.
•Putnam Middle School would close, and students would move to Ossie Ware Mitchell Middle School and Woodlawn.
•North Roebuck Elementary School would close and relocate to the Martha Gaskins Middle School building. Martha Gaskins students would go to Smith and Ossie Ware Mitchell middle schools.
•Avondale Elementary School, Barrett Elementary School, Hayes K-8 School, Hudson K-8 School, Inglenook K-8 School, Oliver Elementary School and South Hampton Elementary School would become K-6 schools.
•The new Oxmoor K-8 School would open this summer as a K-5 school.
•Kennedy Alternative School would be closed and the program would be moved to the Daniel Payne Middle School building.
The proposal also includes a reduction in force, which would result in the loss of 133 positions across the district, 108 in schools and 30 in central offices. Those positions in schools would include 15 Child Nutrition Program workers, 10 teacher assistants, 17 clerical workers, two bookkeepers, 13 custodians, 15 teachers, seven principals, 15 assistant principals, seven counselors and seven library media personnel.
Central office positions that would be eliminated would include four program specialists, three clerical workers, one bookkeeper, five custodians, three data entry technicians, one director/assistant director and eight maintenance employees.
The total savings projection from the plan totals $8,018,786.21.
Copyright 2013 WIAT-TV CBS 42
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