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Century To Join Activist Group To Seek Court Injunction To Stop Carver/Century Closure
March 17, 2009
The Century Town Council has voted to join forces with the Pensacola activist group Movement for Change in seeking a court order to block the closure of Carver/Century K-8 School.
The Escambia County School Board is expected to vote tonight to close the school at the end of this school year. Leroy Byrd, president of the group, told the Century Town Council Monday night that the courts were their only hope of saving the town’s only school.
“The school district has already made a decision without announcing that decision. The outcome is already known,” he said. “You will have to file a legal challenge; it will not make a difference what you say.”
During his presentation to the council, Boyd never specified on what grounds the group would seek the injunction, other than to mention that the school district has “no compassion for poverty”.
When NorthEscambia.com asked what the basis for the injunction would be, Boyd simply replied that, “It won’t be race.”
He estimated that it would cost the council $7,500 to $8,000 in legal fees to hire attorney Jeffery Toney to file the injunction, and he cautioned the council that there could be additional appeals filed regardless of which side prevailed in court that would result in additional costs.
After making his case to the council, Boyd left the meeting and was not present for the council’s discussion or vote.
“The only way we could have a possible chance is to file that injunction,” said council member Gary Riley. “I feel it is worth it.”
“Whatever we can do to save our school, I’m all for it,” council member Sharon Scott said. “We’ve got to do everything,” council member Nadine McCaw added.
“The injunction should get us out of this dog fight altogether,” council member Henry Hawkins said. But without support and programs for the school, he said “we are going to have the same fight next year.”
The council voted 5-0 in favor of joining Movement for Change to seek the injunction to block the closure of Carver/Century.
When Boyd began his presentation to the council on behalf of Movement for Change, he told the council that he wanted 100 percent support from the town to save the school.
“There are some in this community who do not want to save Century,” he said. “We think to save Century, you have to have a school.”
“We want to see one Century come together to save Century,” Boyd added. “Not a racial divide, but one Century.”
Century Mayor Freddie McCall acknowledged that a small group of people in the town may want to acquire a charter school, but the group is a very small minority working contrary to the efforts of the town and its Blue Ribbon Committee that was formed to look at ways to save Carver/Century. The town has not even discussed opening a charter school, the mayor said, and they will not until the school board has actually voted for the closure.
McCall said the small minority wanted a charter school in Century for “handicap school or something”, and “I wasn’t part of it.”
“The majority of Century is on board to save our school,” the mayor said.
Pictured above: Leroy Boyd from Movement for Change addresses the Century Town Council Monday night. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
27 Responses to “Century To Join Activist Group To Seek Court Injunction To Stop Carver/Century Closure”
How could they….facts are well, facts.
I see no one took me up on the FACTS!!!
isn’t this a little like writing a check when there’s no money in the accout?
I did have the time to read all the comments, but let us reverse the situaton. Let move children and teachers from the Molino Park to Century. Making Molino Park a high school (10-12). It always looks good if it does not affect you, but if the school board tried to reverse the situation, you would have a massive uproar. JUST PUT YOURSELF IN THE CENTURY SHOES AND WALK A LITTLE.
For do you have all the facts?
Lets talk about facts……Carver did not meet one not even one AYP benchmark on the report card for Math or Reading Prof.
Ernest Ward met every single AYP benchmark except for one (Student’s with disabilities in Math)
Go see for your self at http://schoolgrades.fldoe.org/default.asp (cut and paste the address) and click on AYP, then Escambia County, then the year, then the school name and CLICK and you will see.
Put you “facts” where the fact are!!! And I do not have kids in the system but you could bet if I did I would not want them around people like you!!!
If a seed’s not producing, try putting it in good soil.
First plow a straight row, looking straight ahead. The row won’t be straight if you keep looking back.
Speak life to the seed. Water it with encouragement.
Whatever your mind and heart is full of, is what you will speak, so dwell on the good, the true and the lovely.
When the harvest comes in, so will even more good seed. One day that seed may come back from where it was taken and bring a harvest home.
The town of Century has no tax basis for it’s existance. With all the fighting going on at it’s council meetings ,they need a new sign for city hall : “Hysterical District”
How can they dare question the District’s findings when they can’t even agree on some old persons water bill?
In response to: Do you have ALL the facts?
Don’t fret the school board is looking at closing other schools too. By the way, the new building at Carver-Century is no longer “new,” only newer. Due to vandalism and other problems in the so called “new” building’s boy’s bathroom, the door was removed in an effort to stem the flood of incidents that occurred in there. This is not an implied assumption for Carver-Century – it’s a fact that’s verifiable by people who attended open house. It has been a while since this occurred and maybe the door has been put back, but I doubt it.
Molino Park Parent… Please do not misunderstand. In NO way am I implicating that Molino Park is a bad school. Nor am I implying that EWMS is bad either. However, many who imply that Century is really don’t know much about it. I would like to ask that you do not make those assumptions.
I am pleased to hear that the building is being utilized. But there is about to be a new building that will be sitting empty. That IS a waste of tax payer money. I don’t believe that I commented on the extensive bus ride. However, I think you will agree that a one mile ride in Pensacola is more cost effective than a fifteen mile ride.
ALL the facts………You need to get your facts straight to….
There are no empty buildings at Molino Park, No waste of tax payers money there……Great school!!!!! The school has grown so much that the wing that was supposed to be for the middle school now has elementary students in it and has for years. I had two children go through that school and are now at Ernest Ward….Great school also!!!!!
I truly hate it for Century but the writing has been on the wall for years….as for the long bus ride…..give me a break…..I went to school in a rural area of Louisiana and rode the bus for over and hour to school and an hour back home from my middle school and I promise it did not any any way harm me. In fact, the bus ride was often the best part of the day!!!!!
It’s time for tough decisions to be made and we need to accept them and make it a positive experince for all of our children!!! My children love Ernest Ward and so will all of the students that come from Century if the parents would get behind this and stop being so negative!!!
My question is, do we have ALL the facts? Superintendent Thomas stated that there are six elementary schools in Escambia County with less than 300 students. Five of these are within a 2.5 mile radius of one another in Pensacola. Has a study been done to determine the loss of revenue that each one of these schools generate? My understanding is NO, there has been no such study. These schools have a history of low performance comparable to Century. So, don’t you find it interesting that the north end has been targeted? At least 2 of the six schools have no more than 10-12 students per classroom. If one of those was closed, students would only have to travel a few blocks into a building that can accommodate them WITHOUT additional costs. The cost of moving Century students has already been estimated to be very expensive. Yes, the move is a one time expense…or is it? If the number of students exceeds the capacity of the building, how long before expansion or remodeling has to begin? The building left behind will still have to have electricity, water, insurance, maintenance, security, and will have to be stocked with supplies as a hurricane shelter. ALL at district expense. Where is the savings? What will the tax payers get in return for this expense? More expense to bus students a greater distance to a location struggling to accommodate students at meal times and educating them in closets and portable buildings. Reminder: portables are only temporary! You can’t keep them there forever. Have you considered the disruptions that all students will experience during inclement weather when portables have to be evacuated?
Yes, I have seen the documentation provided on the district website. Where did these facts and figures come from? There is no reference to their source. Why aren’t these facts and figures available for EVERY school in the district?
Are you also aware that when the inital consolidation between Carver Middle School and Century Elementary was voted in, that Molino Park and Ernest Ward were to be consolidated into a K-8 school? There is an empty building awaiting their arrival at Molino Park. What a waste of taxpayer dollars! Where is the follow through?
The money spent for utilities on a building leased for $1 per year would cover a lot of expenses for students. No one seems to accept accountability for that loss. Why the students of Century?
Ask yourself if you would like to have your child bused a long distance every day when they could go to their neighborhood school. Byrneville parents can back this up with an overwhelming no I would not. That is why they are a charter today. The students that attend that school have NEVER attended Century and should not be counted as having left there. But, because there is no Byrneville district their numbers are included as having left Century. Did you know that?? Take that 150+ students out of the mix and you will find that not that many have really left. Of those that have, many probably had other reasons besides school grades.
One final comment, did you know that if Ernest Ward was a TItle I school that Carver students would not be allowed to go there. That is because they did not make adequate yearly progress either. How about the lowest performing students at Bratt? Are they actually making adequate progress or are their scores being absorbed by high performers? Wouldn’t it be interesting to know how well low-socioeconomic and/or minority students performed at these schools? Research shows that such children have different needs and learn differently than others. Again, do we REALLY have ALL the facts?
To the citizens of Century,
Becoming immersed in a court battle is not a thing that you can plan spending X number of dollars on. It is a pay as you go financial feast for lawyers. Why not let your kids go to the other schools and make your old school into a museum and a free entertainment facility, like Barrineau Park has done with their old school? The auditorium is full every first Friday night for the music fest. There is a donation box for anyone wanting to help out with any expenses ( I suppose, such as utilities). A simple meal can be purchased for $5.00 if you have no time to, or do not want to cook that night. You could even rent out the place for family reunions or other activities. Think of your own ideas. There are many. It could be a money maker, instead of a “bank breaker.” The children, meanwhile, could be in competition with high achievers that could make really learning competitive, in a fun way, if they had positive input and help. Perhaps God is trying to help Century improve, but for whatever reason, Century will not cooperate and trust Him to do just that. Make a difference. After all, the new president’s catch word is CHANGE!
What a crock. Freddy shows his intelligence once more. I only hope that when this is thrown out of the courts by having no merit that the school board sues Century for their legal expences spent on this debacle.
Sorry,R Thomas, but not too many families want to move to a community with an “F” school. Let the school close,send the kids to the “A” schools, and advertise that.Then you might get some growth.
It’s amazing to me that during a time of severe economic crisis, we’re spending money we don’t have to ressurrect a battle that’s basically over!
Mr. Thomas came to Century armed with enough information & statistics to make his decision logical.
Stop fighting change! Change can be a good thing–teach your children that they can be excited about new ventures.
If this is truly all about the children & their school, think about it this way—
Don’t think for a second that the children in Century & the surrounding areas are not watching this display of “government”. Why not show them how well government agencies can work if they bind together?? Why not show support for the School Board & turn this situation into a positive one? In a society where lawsuits abound & deficits continue to rise, why would we chose to not be different from the rest?? Century doesn’t stand out anymore as an exceptional city. It stands out as one whose government is constantly involved in lawsuits. So if the government of this town wants to draw more negative attention to the town, this is the ticket! But this garbage is exactly one of the reasons most of the educated, successful natives of Century don’t even live here anymore.
Best wishes to the mayor & council. I really hope this works out better than I think it’s going to! I am ALL for this town recovering from its slump. But I’m afraid this is NOT the answer.
Concerned — no problem. I just to be sure everyone understood that there was no cost to the school board mentioned in the article because that is an unknown.
FYI the hand out is informative but also misleading. It talks about afterschool things for students. Some of the same things that are at ernest ward were at century/carver but the school district stopped helping century and continued over at ernest ward. There were alot of chi;dren that left a long time ago when these activites were cut. A good example was when football was cut a century alot of people came to ernest ward so their child could play football. A lot of those children were the ones that were helping keep the grade up. They put ages of buildings on there handout to compare schools. By just looking at that ernest ward is older. another chart they showed was the number of students attending other schools. that is amazing that some go all the way to pensacola area. Then there was a chart comparing the 2 schools fcat scores for a few years, but nothing is said that there are alot of students from alabama at bratt and ernest ward that help with those scores. So remember all these scores are not really reflective of only florida students but out of staters to.
William, I only meant that all this money spent would be a waste and probably a bottomless pit. In no way was I pointing out that the amount was not covered in your article. We don’t need this expense added to a budget already in trouble.
Not that it matters, but no one wanted Northview, alot of folks were satisfied with Ernest Ward and Century remaining High Schools, but that didn’t stop em from building it. The word was the old schools were unsafe and too expensive to repair, but surprise surprise children are roaming the halls as we speak. If only you could turn back time, maybe someone with a little sense could have upgraded the old buildings to code standards and all the money spent would have let all the schools remain open—just like they did for years when life was not so drama filled and idiotic. Somewhere there is someone using skillful chess moves to accomplish something, what a shame it is at taxpayers expense.
R. Thomas… Attack my opinion all you want, but ill-willed and ill-advised? That is your opinion. The district stated very clearly over the past 18 months that the school is a bottomless pit and a devourer of revenue. Couple that information with the fact parents want better for their students, so they been moving them to higher performing schools because of the consistent failing or below average grade earned by Carver-Century. How much more justification or documentation do you need?
So, press on and sue away because the results will be more wasted money. I wouldn’t be surprised if school board members, who were on the fence on this closure issue, have now made decisions because of the town’s actions; thus they’ll do the right thing tonight for the district and the taxpayers and they’ll close this declining school.
Do know this, we can’t keep throwing more good money after bad just because Century wants a school building in the town limits.
i use to go to caver school.the teachers are just great they are loving and caring they go out of there way for use kids.i dont see why anyone would wnat to take this school away from use kids.i have been going to this school all my life i just feel like they are taking something away from me.this school is a very big part of my life.i just dont think its right we worked to hard for our b school.just think about the babies that have to take the long ride its not right at all.we are still the blackcats until the end
R. Thomas:
Here is the information Mr. Thomas provided to many people concerning the closure–
http://www.escambia.k12.fl.us/PDF/carver_presentation_handouts.pdf
It is available from the School District’s homepage and has been posted for quite some time.
Jay, you comment is not only ill-willed but ill-advised. The issue is that the School Board gave no reason for closing the school , supplied no documentation as to the necessity of closing the school, no accounting of the Title One maney that the Carver School should have received over the years, the refusal of the School Board to acknowledge any FOI requests submitted to it.
The folks in Century have an opportunity and the initiative to move Century forward if such backward, negative, naysayers & thinkers as yourself would use your mouth for nothing more than to breathe and not expell such contaminated noxious ideas into the air!
To the Mayor, City Council and residents of Century, go ahead and fight to save not only what could be a great small city but do everything possible to make it type of community that will expand and enhance itself and draw new families and businesses to it. Remeber, the strength of the pack is the wolf; the strength of the wolf is the pack…together the citizens of Century can make this a city we can all prosper and be proud of calling home!!!
To Concerned —- I’ll jump in on this one. The school district does not know what their cost would be…that’s why there is nothing in the article. Since this just happened last night, they probably did not even know they were likely headed to court until reading NorthEscambia.com this morning.
When somebody sues the district, they have to defend themselves. It’s no different than if your neighbor decides to sue you over a disagreement; you have to defend yourself. It’s not something you can budget for…the amount of defense you need is proportionate to how hard the other side goes after you. The school district does have a staff attorney, but there are certainly costs associated with defending the district.
This does not mention what the cost to the school district will be. Spending money that could be used to buy books, supplies ,computers and educational material. I’m sure it will cost more than a teachers salary to go to court. They really don’t know what it will cost both sides. The lawyers are the only winners here!
Spending money you don’t have for a lost cause.
Wow! Movement for Change is coming to help themselves at the public trough at the expense of Century. I want to laugh at the $7,500 to start. I’m sure it’ll be $25,000 before you can say “where’d the money go” after tonight.
But instead of putting a positive outlook on sending their children to the “best” schools in the district and the chamber of commerce boasting that Century’s kids now attend “A” schools, They’re going to try to keep their substandard status.
Century just keeps digging a ditch or should I say it’s grave, deeper and deeper. In my opinion, the Century charter should be revoked and the town’s government dissolved. You don’t see city governments in Ensley, Warrington, Myrtle Grove, or Gonzalez and nor do those areas need one, besides they have many more businesses and people to fleece there.
If Century wants to keep its school, the town can easily raise the milliage rate and shake down their citizens for the money, since they’re their own taxing authority.