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BREAKING NEWS: WCA to close
Published February 10, 2010
In what board members described as one of their most difficult decisions, the Walton County Board of Education voted 7-0 to essentially close the Walton Career Academy.
"The decisions made today were not made lightly," said Teresa Nay, District 5 board member. "I put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into these decisions."
But board members said, despite community support, there was little alternative but to close the Bryant Road building in Monroe as part of significant budget cuts.
"We've heard from the county commissioners, from the Walton County Development Authority, from the chamber of commerce, a number of students, from Athens Tech," said Coleman Landers, board chairman. "We talked with the lieutenant governor and a number of people. But we've got to find somewhere close to $5.6 million in cuts or additional revenue, and we don't see any additional revenue coming. We're looking to save $2 million in this re-design."
Although Landers said the budget process has just begun, he said the need to prepare teacher contracts and student schedules made finding a solution to the Bryant Road programs an essential step.
While board members were quick to note the academy's charter remains intact, the re-organization of the academy and the other programs at the Bryant Road facility - including the Performance Learning Center and the alternative school - will force the system to make multiple decisions on which programs will be preserved.
While the PLC and alternative school will be made after-school programs at Loganville Middle School, the vocational and career classes at the academy will be split between the three high schools in the system.
"We'll have to meet with personnel about placing them in the schools," said Superintendent Gary Hobbs. "The curriculum department will have work to do based on student interest and requests."
Board members said there was still work to do in arranging the re- design, including discussions with Athens Technical School about remaining in the building, and which programs would ultimately make the jump, but Landers said the decision, while painful, was necessary for the system.
"We have to do something to serve every student in Walton County, not just a few," Landers said.
Look for more information on this story in Sunday's edition of The Walton Tribune.
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