Bessemer Board of Education unanimously consents to state takeover

The Alabama Department of Education’s takeover of the Bessemer City School system is imminent. On Monday evening, the Bessemer Board of Education met for a meeting at their central office; just 10 minutes after the meeting began, all of the members in attendance had voted in favor of consenting to the State’s takeover. Their consent was relayed in the following resolution:”WHEAREAS the mission of the Bessemer Board of Education is to use all available resources to provide all students in the Bessemer City School System with a challenging and quality education that will ultimately improve the quality of their lives and allow students the greatest chance for success after graduation;”WHEREAS the State Superintendent of Education has offered support and guidance in the areas of of Board governance, personnel, facilities, and finances to the Bessemer Board of Education under the Educational Accountability and Intervention Act of 2013;”WHEREAS the Bessemer Board of Education acknowledges that assistance from the State Superintendent is in the best interest of all Bessemer City School System students;”WHEREAS the Bessemer Board of Education agrees it will comply with any and all directives from the State Superintendent during the intervention period as outlined in 16-6E-1 through -7, Ala. Code 1975, and authorizes the Bessemer Board of Education’s Superintendent to provide any and all information the State Superintendent requests to effectuate the assistance provided by the Alabama State Board of Education.”NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Bessemer Board of Education does hereby fully acknowledge, agree, and consent to intervention assistance from the State Superintendent of Education under the authority allowed him under the Educational Accountability and Intervention Act of 2013 as well as any authority provided by law should the Alabama State Board of Education exercise its authority in the form of a formal ratified Resolution related to the statutes referenced herein.”BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Bessemer Board of Education will cooperate with the State Superintendent of Education and the Alabama State Boards of Education to improve student achievement and financial stability within the Bessemer City School System. “State Superintendent Dr. Eric Mackey sent a lengthy letter to Bessemer school leaders on July 3, pointing out several troubling issues they identified in the system relating to governance, facilities, finances, and personnel. They had 21 days to respond, but last Friday, Mackey said a state takeover would “absolutely” happen. Mackey had been monitoring the situation in Bessemer for several years and says in recent months, the situation has only worsened, pointing out that anyone who’s been to a school board meeting has witnessed the uncivil dialog and lack of traction when it comes to making decisions. Mackey said, “They have financial capability, they certainly have some committed folks who are trying to do the very best for students there. But we see almost a culture of not being able to move forward.” This all started after a recent review of the Bessemer City School System revealed several issues that “impede the success of student outcomes and overall district operations,” according to a document sent to the school system by the State Department of Education.Some of these concerns included:FinancialsAlthough the deadline was Sept. 15, 2023, the Board did not approve a budget and capital plan until Oct. 23, 2023.The Board did not approve the FY 2022 Audit Report until December of 2023.The Board did not approve the lowest cleaning service bid, opting to use another service at “an elevated cost to the district, possibly violating the State bid law.”Bessemer City High School did not have a full-time financial secretary from the beginning of the 2023 school year until Feb. 1, 2024.PersonnelThe Department of Education alleges that “the Board repeatedly failed to fill critical administrative and teacher positions in a timely matter.”Several employment contracts were reportedly presented to the Board on Sept. 19, 2023, but were then removed from the agenda and not approved for another eight months.The Board also allegedly hired two principals but failed to approve their contracts.FacilitiesThe State noted that one significant concern is the amount of “clearly dilapidated” buildings in the system, citing “roofing and HVAC issues” that may stem from neglect.The Board reportedly rejected a recommendation to perform an assessment of the system’s facilities in Nov. 2023, delaying it until April 2024 and “placing an unnecessary burden on school system staff,” to get repairs done by the next school year.Ventilation and lighting projects also went unapproved.Once the assessment was completed, several concerns were revealed, including:Severe roof leaksHVAC issuesADA non-compliant hardwareStudent LearningThe State believes that the current academic outcomes “do not reflect the knowledge and skills, nor the creativity and commitment of the students, families, faculty, and staff of the System,” stating that the Board has failed to establish an “orderly working environment firmly focused on the well-being of students.”This is a developing story and will be updated as information becomes available. 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2024-07-22 23:34:00