HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — School choice and adequate funding were big topics of conversation among Madison City, Madison County, and Huntsville City School superintendents during a panel discussion addressing the state of each school system. Growth and development in Huntsville and beyond was also at the forefront of the conversation. FOX54 spoke with each superintendent to learn their honest opinions on the matters.
Madison City Schools Superintendent Dr. Ed Nichols said they are averaging about 300 new students a year. "So, you know, the challenge of that is continuing to have the facilities. You know, we have seven elementary. We have a new elementary that'll be opening in two years. We opened a new middle school. We're going to have to expand our high schools. While we grow, the expectation also grows of people who are moving here from around the world of what the educational system needs to provide."
Huntsville City Schools Superintendent Dr. Clarence Sutton is also in a similar situation pertaining growth. "We have over 18 programs, over 5000 students take advantage of from kindergarten all the way through twelfth grade." Dr. Sutton explained that they have to be strategic how we look at funding, partnerships, and dealing with the state legislature, the literacy act, numeracy act and also the school choice. "So right now we've taken all those challenges and tried to address them and do what's best for students."
Furthermore, as families continue to move into the area, one concern in each school system is that the pool of people going into education is minimal. Madison County Schools Superintendent Kenneth Kubik continued that eventually [the] veterans are going to retire. "And we need that pool, to rebuild the teacher applicant pool." Kubik also believes appropriate funding for public education is what really needs to happen. "We have all these mandates that come down and all these needs that we have, and we need to be funded properly before you start giving money to private and parochial schools."
Dr. Nichols agrees. "I think if you take the public's money and you put it somewhere that's not in the public education system, then they ought to meet the same criteria. and people talk about, well, we need more competition. I'm all for that. competition is great. But third grade teachers in Madison City Schools and third grade teachers in a private school that get public funds should both be meeting the same criteria so that we have transparency and accountability with the with the public's money."