Plan released for housing Paine, Magnolia Elementary Schools together temporarily

By Megan Miller, Editor

TRUSSVILLE – After it was announced that Magnolia Elementary would not be complete prior to the start of the 2016-17 school year, many parents with children attending that school have questions about what protocol will be followed.

Trussville City Schools Superintendent Dr. Pattie Neill said there is a plan in place to make sure the educational process is seamless and uninterrupted, and the students won’t miss a beat.

Dr. Tyger Evans will be principal over Paine Elementary, and Dr. Autumn Jeter will be principal over Magnolia Elementary.

Paine Elementary housed 2,000 students during the last school year inside the main building and in portable buildings. This coming year, Paine Elementary will start with 1,380 students, divided into Paine and Magnolia groups. Of that number, 380 will be Magnolia students and 1,000 will be Paine students.

Dr. Neill said that no students will be in portable buildings, as there’s plenty of room inside the main campus for all of the students, and the principals, bookkeeper and office staff will have separate areas, as they did last year.

A “school within a school” model will be used according to Neill, meaning questions and concerns will be directed to the appropriate principal.

Magnolia Elementary students will begin their school year in classrooms at Paine Elementary School specifically reserved for them, and music, art, library, counseling, special education, PE and technology will also have their own designated spaces separate from Paine.

Academic schedules for both schools, including lunchtime and special areas, will remain the same for the entire school year, as will bus numbers and bus drivers. Magnolia Elementary teachers will be assigned morning and afternoon bus and car duty with Magnolia students.

Both PTOs will operate and function as separate entities.

Because both schools will be housed at the same facility temporarily, lunchroom staff and cafeteria space, after school care and the custodial team will be shared until the transition. After Magnolia moves to their own campus, the areas that Magnolia was once using inside Paine Elementary will be reserved for future growth in pre-school through 5^th grade, according to Neill.

The only other change after the move is Magnolia bus schedules will operate approximately 10 minutes later in the morning and approximately 10 minutes earlier in the afternoon.

“I appreciate the cooperation between Dr. Jeter, Dr. Evans and all the administrators to make this temporary, short-term plan work for the benefit of all students and parents,” Neill said.