BOE sets work session, engagement forums for potential changes to facilities plan
The Jefferson County Board of Education is still considering the offer from the Vestavia Hills Board of Education to purchase Gresham Elementary, but the board has opted to move ahead in considering what to do if the offer is accepted.
On Tuesday, the Jefferson County board had an executive session, and the issue could come up as soon as the board's regular meeting on Nov. 7.
In the meantime, Vestavia is taking a look at what the configuration of schools could look like with Gresham in the mix.
"Negotiations with Jefferson County for the purchase of Gresham continue and are sufficiently promising to begin the process of considering how Gresham might fit into our long-range facility plans," Interim Superintendent Charles Mason said in a release Wednesday.
The process to determine what to do about overcrowding in Vestavia schools has been ongoing for more than a year, with the number of options at one point climbing near a dozen.
But this time, Mason said, there will only be three.
One of the options will be the plan the BOE approved in late April, and Mason said it is very possible the board could land back on that original option, but that he is also providing two new possibilities that include Gresham in the mix.
Beginning on Tuesday, Nov. 7, the Vestavia BOE will be having a slew of meetings and engagement sessions to get as much feedback about the proposed options as possible. After that meeting, Mason said the district would be updating with results and feedback from each meeting to further the conversation.
- Tuesday, Nov. 7: Board work session/public engagement: Vestavia Hills Elementary East – 7 p.m.
- Tuesday, Nov. 14: Public engagement meetings: St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church – 10 a.m.; Liberty Park Middle School – 6 p.m.
- Wednesday, Nov. 15: Public engagement meeting: Louis Pizitz Middle School – 4:00 p.m.
- Nov. 16 – 22: Ongoing online public engagement
- Dec. 6: Superintendent’s recommendation made public
- Dec. 6 – 12: Online engagement to respond to Superintendent’s recommendation
- Dec. 13: Board of Education acts on Superintendent’s recommendation at regular Board meeting – 6 p.m. at Board of Education
The effort, Mason said, is to stick to the mid-December deadline Hoar Program Management needs to meet in order to stay on schedule for a Fall 2019 move in date for all facilities.