News Staff Report
A group has formed in Atmore to explore the possibility of creating a city school system, breaking away from the county public school system.
Atmore Citizens for Change will hold a public meeting this Friday night, February 15, 6 p.m. at Deliverance Ministry Church of Jesus Christ, 2nd Avenue, in Atmore. They plan to have a consultant at the meeting to share information on the process of separating from the county and establishing a city system.
The following statement is taken from an email sent to the media Friday, February 8: “In light of recently published school scores and the news of Escambia County High School being deemed ‘failing’ – for the third year in a row – with no change and no apparent intervention efforts by the Escambia County Board of Education, several local civic groups joined together to form the Atmore Citizens for Change coalition. The group feels it is time for citizens to explore a separate school option to form its own Atmore City School System.”
Officers in Atmore Citizens for Change are Loumeek White, president; Pastor Michael Arnold, vice president; Vasaroy Johnson, secretary; Sandra Gray, assistant secretary.
According to the group’s website (www.atmorecityschools2020.com), this is the plan:
* Petition community members, business, and parents to join their efforts for an Atmore City School District
* Present the petition to the Atmore City Council and ask for a Resolution to explore the feasibility of an Atmore City School System
* Analyze and report the results of the feasibility study to the public
* If feasible and warranted, create an Atmore City Schools Board of Education
* Hire a superintendent
* Develop a separation plan from the Escambia County Board of Education
* Secure buildings and begin renovations
* Hire staff
* Start school (Atmore City Schools – year 2020)