An academic audit commissioned by the city of Fairhope suggests its schools are closer than many might think to ranking among the best in Alabama.
The Akribos Consulting Group reviewed the feeder pattern for Fairhope High School using ACT Aspire results, ACT college-readiness metrics, Advanced Placement data, demographics and per-student spending. The firm, which the Fairhope City Council paid $49,000 to conduct the study, compared the pattern to the criteria that define the state’s top 10 school systems.
“You all are doing a great job, we have no doubt that you could get to being a top 10 school in Alabama,” said Dr. Ruth Ash, a member of the Akribos study team.
Akribos placed Fairhope’s schools, all part of the Baldwin County Public School System, in “the second 10” statewide. To reach the top tier, the firm presented five options for the City Council to consider: keeping the current funding structure, creating a special tax district, pursuing a school flexibility contract with the state, launching a charter school, or forming an independent, city-run system.
The recommendations came with price tags, including about $600,000 for added personnel such as a curriculum director and substitute teachers, and $80,000 for professional development.
Fairhope Mayor Tim Kant said the report is a starting point. “We have a new school board and a new superintendent, and this is a starting point so we can move forward,” Kant said. The recommendations now go before the full council, with Akribos invited back for a question-and-answer session.