Schools across Mobile and Baldwin counties had plenty going on heading into the middle of November, from long-term construction planning to a corporate donation that could shape how future engineers are trained locally.
In Baldwin County, school officials were preparing to unveil a long-range capital improvements plan at the Baldwin County Education Summit, held at the Daphne Civic Center. The free public event, hosted by the Baldwin County Education Coalition, gave residents a look at how the district intends to pay for a wave of upcoming construction needs.
Meanwhile, the Mobile County school board’s facilities committee has been working through a list of projects tied to its $100 million construction bond. Among the most anticipated: exterior renovation work has finally begun on the historic Barton Academy building in downtown Mobile, a project many in the community have watched closely for years. Renovations are also underway at Murphy High School, where officials say the process has been slow but deliberate, and the school marked the start of construction on a new $2 million band room with a groundbreaking ceremony.
Not every school project involves new construction. On Dauphin Island, city officials are preparing to solicit bids to relocate the town’s historic little red schoolhouse, though where exactly it will end up remains an open question.
On the safety front, Mobile County students used their Veterans Day off from class to attend a seminar at the Mobile Police Training Academy, where they previewed a new department video aimed at steering young people away from trouble. The video, tied to the department’s Family Intervention Team initiative, is set to be shown in schools throughout the following month, and students who attended also toured the Mobile Metro County Jail as part of the program.
Enrollment news was upbeat at Most Pure Heart of Mary Catholic School, where the principal said enrollment and parental involvement are both trending up, countering rumors that the inner-city school was struggling. The school also planned a fundraiser concert featuring musician Kenny Neal later in the month.
On the technology side, Mobile County has launched a pilot digital literacy program at 16 schools this fall, aimed at reshaping the traditional school library and the role of librarians who run them. Smaller districts had their own updates: Satsuma City Schools called for volunteers for a Saturday workday and put out bid requests for two new school buses.
Perhaps the most notable gift came from Airbus, which donated an A330 elevator, a roughly 28-foot composite flight-control component, to the University of South Alabama for education and research use, reflecting the aircraft manufacturer’s deepening ties to the university. Dollar General also chipped in with a $40,000 donation to Orange Beach Elementary School.