Vestavia Hills school board president to join Jefferson, Shelby leaders in rally for education funding

UPDATE: The rally's location has changed from Vulcan Park and Museum to the Jefferson County Board of Education. The rally will take place at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 19.

Vestavia Hills school board President Nathaniel Robin plans to join school board presidents from across Jefferson and Shelby counties Saturday at a rally to keep money from being diverted from the state Education Trust Fund.

At least 14 school board presidents have committed to be at the rally at the Jefferson County Board of Education at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, said Hoover school board President Derrick Murphy, who is organizing the event.

School districts to be represented include Alabaster, Bessemer, Birmingham, Fairfield, Gardendale, Hoover, Jefferson County, Leeds, Mountain Brook, Pelham, Shelby County, Tarrant, Trussville and Vestavia Hills, Murphy said.

They are opposing efforts in the state Legislature to move $80 million in use tax revenue from the Education Trust Fund to the state’s general fund, which is projected to have a $200 million shortfall.

Robin said there are other options that should be considered long before money from education is touched.

“I just can’t understand why really the education budget is even an option,” Robin said. “I’m just disappointed this is even on the table.”

School districts with smaller amounts of local funding will be hit more severely than others, but even school districts with stronger local funding, such as Vestavia Hills, Mountain Brook and Homewood, will not be immune from the effects of the proposed cuts, Robin said. This will hurt all school districts, he said.

Education is the foundation of so much and needs to be a priority, Robin said.

Murphy said he understands the need for legislators to find a fix for the general fund woes, but he and other school board leaders want them to find a way to do that without taking money from the Education Trust Fund.

School systems across the state already have been hit with revenue declines and can’t afford to lose more money, Murphy said. “We can’t continue to take these hits every year and reductions in revenue,” he said.

Education represents the future of Alabama, Murphy said. “With the economy we have now, you’ve got to have an educated workforce to serve companies coming to our state,” he said.

The Jefferson County Board of Education is located at 2100 18th St S in Birmingham.