DECATUR, AL -
Around 150 Lawrence County residents packed the third floor courtroom of the Federal Courthouse in Decatur Wednesday night.
They waited anxiously for Judge David Proctor to reveal the Lawrence County School Board's recommendation for school consolidation.
After listening to Judge Proctor for about 40 minutes, they found out the news.
Many were not happy.
"I think it would destroy our community. Town Creek, I don't think would exist without the high school being there. I think it would become just a dust bowl," says Town Creek resident Christine Garner.
Garner has two children who attend Hazlewood High in Town Creek.
She learned the School Board not only recommended Hazlewood students start attending R.A. Hubbard in Courtland this August, but the board also recommended closing Hazlewood High.
As for other Lawrence County students, the Board recommended some Speake students attend Lawrence County High in Moulton starting in August while other Speake students would attend classes at East Lawrence High.
The Board also suggested combining Mount Hope and Hatton High Schools with students attending classes in Hatton.
"I really don't think that's a good idea at all. I think having us go to R.A. Hubbard, combine Hazlewood which is predominantly black with R.A. Hubbard which is predominantly black and then combine Hatton with Mount Hope which are predominantly white creates one white school and one black school as far as I'm concerned," Garner says.
"It would put more stress on teachers of having more students in their classes and I believe students wouldn't get the proper training and stuff they need to pass their classes and stuff like that," says Mount Hope resident Kevin Tyler.
School Superintendent Heath Grimes told WHNT in an earlier interview as many as 50 teachers could lose their jobs through consolidation.
Judge Proctor ordered attorneys for both the School Board and the plaintiffs to have a face to face meeting by March 6 to bring several ideas to the table on how to address consolidation.
The suggestions made Wednesday are just suggestions at this point. Nothing is final yet.
They waited anxiously for Judge David Proctor to reveal the Lawrence County School Board's recommendation for school consolidation.
After listening to Judge Proctor for about 40 minutes, they found out the news.
Many were not happy.
"I think it would destroy our community. Town Creek, I don't think would exist without the high school being there. I think it would become just a dust bowl," says Town Creek resident Christine Garner.
Garner has two children who attend Hazlewood High in Town Creek.
She learned the School Board not only recommended Hazlewood students start attending R.A. Hubbard in Courtland this August, but the board also recommended closing Hazlewood High.
As for other Lawrence County students, the Board recommended some Speake students attend Lawrence County High in Moulton starting in August while other Speake students would attend classes at East Lawrence High.
The Board also suggested combining Mount Hope and Hatton High Schools with students attending classes in Hatton.
"I really don't think that's a good idea at all. I think having us go to R.A. Hubbard, combine Hazlewood which is predominantly black with R.A. Hubbard which is predominantly black and then combine Hatton with Mount Hope which are predominantly white creates one white school and one black school as far as I'm concerned," Garner says.
"It would put more stress on teachers of having more students in their classes and I believe students wouldn't get the proper training and stuff they need to pass their classes and stuff like that," says Mount Hope resident Kevin Tyler.
School Superintendent Heath Grimes told WHNT in an earlier interview as many as 50 teachers could lose their jobs through consolidation.
Judge Proctor ordered attorneys for both the School Board and the plaintiffs to have a face to face meeting by March 6 to bring several ideas to the table on how to address consolidation.
The suggestions made Wednesday are just suggestions at this point. Nothing is final yet.
