After a nearly-an-hour-long executive session, the Lowndes County Public Schools Board of Education voted to close three schools in a special called meeting Tuesday night, March 24. The measure, board members said, was necessary due to declining enrollment and funding constraints which made continuing to keep all schools open outside the realm of possibilities.
A motion recommended by superintendent Samita Jeter called for consolidation of Jackson-Steele Elementary School with Central Elementary School, Hayneville Middle School with Central High School and Lowndes Middle School with The Calhoun School. She explained how the measure would work and which grades of students would transition to elementary and high school campuses.
“Students at Jackson-Steele will now attend Central Elementary School,” she said. “Students at Lowndes Middle School… consolidating seventh and eighth grade students to Calhoun, and consolidating Hayneville Middle seventh and eighth grade students to Central. Sixth grade students for Lowndes Middle will go to Fort Deposit Elementary, and sixth grade students for Hayneville Middle will go to Central Elementary School.”…