JCBOE will vote soon on fate of PRVHS

Paint Rock Valley community members and faculty attended yesterday's JCBOE meeting to hear the fate of PRVHS.

By Danielle Wallingsford Kirkland

Jackson County Board of Education Superintendent announced yesterday that the school board will soon vote whether to keep Paint Rock Valley High School open or to finally close its doors at the end of this school year.

“I think people need to know,” Dukes said. “The faculty and staff need to know. The parents need to know. The community needs to know … It’s time one way or another. If it’s going to close, let’s ease their minds and let them know.”

JCBOE Superintendent Kevin Dukes

Dukes, with the help of county supervisors, gave a presentation about the state of the school to the large crowd of faculty, staff, parents and community members who attended the meeting.

Dukes first explained the declining enrollment at the school, stating that as of March 15 PRVHS had just 76 students in kindergarten through 12^th grade.

“Over the last 21 years the enrollment has decreased 47 percent,” Dukes said.

According to Dukes, in 2010 Craig Pouncy, with the Alabama Department of Education, recommended that then Superintendent Ken Harding take actions to close the school.

Jeff Middleton, the Chief School Financial Officer, said the cost per student at PRVHS is more than $12,500. That, he explained, is $4000 more per student than at any other Jackson County school.

“Over 10 years, that’s $4 million,” Middleton said.

Paint Rock Valley’s current principal, Kevin McBride, said he is still hopeful that the school will remain open.

“The school is the hub of the community, and I’m a part of that community,” McBride said. “My hope is they will be able to keep our school open and make changes that will benefit those students there.”

PRVHS Principal Kevin McBride

McBride said the most recent talk of closing the school has affected school morale.

“I think any time you mention closing a school people get scared,” McBride said. “Whether it’s the case or not they react. I have had students move because they were fearful the school would close …People are not sure what’s going on with the school and they want to know.”

McBride said he believes Dukes will do what is best for the school.

“I don’t think he is against our school. I think he is for what’s best and he is open for ideas. We just have to come up with ideas,” McBride said.

Dukes said if the board approves closing the school it will remain open for the remainder of this school year, the school zones at Woodville and Skyline will be expanded to accommodate PRVHS students, meetings will be held with parents and community members and all tenured personnel will be placed within the system. 

He added that however the board votes will give the people of PRVHS their final answer about the fate of the school for the remainder of his term.

“It’s about what’s best for the students,” Dukes said. “But this is it. Whatever happens with Paint Rock Valley, if ya’ll vote for it to remain open all I’m going to do is fight for it to be the best it can be. If ya’ll vote for it to close, it closes. But I will never bring Paint Rock Valley up again after we vote on this, because it’s time for them to know one way or another and not have to worry about it.”