Bibb County schools seeks community input on consolidation process

After forming a committee to consider possible school closures, more than 70 teachers, parents and school district officials gathered at the Professional Learning Center off of Riverside Drive last Thursday evening to discuss what Bibb County School resources should be prioritized and what to expect from a possible consolidation.

Constituents at the consolidation town hall meeting were broken up into groups that identified concerns, needs and answered questions regarding consolidation.

The school district has not yet announced which schools could be closed.

“We broke this (discussion) up into four different areas of purposes so that we can look at safety, security, transportation, academic programs … this feedback will go into the deeper dive we’re doing,” Deputy Superintendent Katika Lovett said.

Prior to group discussions, the district outlined the consolidation timeline and read its latest enrollment figures.

The process is currently in phase three of four, where the district collects community input already gathered data on finances, facility needs, resource allocation and student support.

Enrollment numbers showed a capacity deficit of 3,000 students, with 2,000 square feet of space available in elementary schools.

Discussions about closures arose in the face of declining enrollment and budgetary needs, Superintendent Dan Sims said, and these discussions predated his tenure.

Lower enrollment numbers are a product of several factors, including transience and new charter schools, he said.

“It’s important to bring data to people and get their response,” he said. “We don’t want to do this independent of data and people.”

Over the course of an hour, participants rotated around to different poster boards, adding their own ideas and concerns to questions like, “what academic programs are most important to preserve or expand?”

Diona Clyde, an arts teacher at Central High School, said she came in expecting to hear about which schools would be closed, and the process is “something that scares [her] a little bit.”

Although no announcements were made about which schools were going to be affected, Clyde said the town hall was nonetheless a good opportunity to share her thoughts.

“I’m kind of curious about what economic issues that students face that they may bring into other schools and how it might affect that school system,” she said.

Thomas Duval, a literacy advocate, said he came to the meeting because he was concerned about L.H. Williams Elementary School being closed.

He graduated from the elementary school, and said he hopes through the consolidation process that the school district takes into account the cultural and historical significance, not just the business components.

“We have a rich African-American history and culture here that can be used to get our kids to read at grade level,” he said. “If they read at grade level, Macon will become the place people come from all over the United States.”