Birmingham BOE won't discuss possible school closings until February | News

BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC)- The Birmingham Board of Education met Tuesday night to discuss several points, but among them was not the possible consolidation and closing of some schools.

Instead, FOX6 News learned that the system is moving into the next phase of their strategic plan to bring itself in line with state requirements. Superintendent Witherspoon says this may include further reductions in the central office. He says that there were actually no layoffs in the central office during the first phase due to attrition, retirement and moving staff to other positions.

He also says that he hopes to launch an online database to help boost transparency for the BOE and to update parents on the systems goals and activities. He hopes to have this database and phase two of their strategic plan completed by May or June 2013.

Witherspoon says that there has been good feedback from board members in the last week about the possible consolidation and closing of some schools. However, there were some parents who were displeased that public discussion of this issue won't happen until February.

"When you're talking about any change in student attendance areas, boundaries you have to go back and do some different plotting and it creates different scenarios and a domino effect so we have to see what the impact of those recommended changes and recommendations that board members have...and come back with a different model," Witherspoon said.

Witherspoon says that discussion will happen Feb. 26.

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