By Tanna Friday
For the Tribune
Writer’s Note -When I learned there were rumors that the “Eagle Wall” at Erwin High School was going to be torn down and then heard of this summer’s demolition of the school’s football stadium, I took it personally. You see, my sister and I were graduates of Erwin High School, so I decided to get some answers from the Jefferson County Board of Education (JefCoEd). Here is what I discovered.
JEFFERSON COUNTY –Last week, Jefferson County Board of Education (JefCoEd) released its plans for a $200 million capital outlay plan expected to extend into the next three years. This plan outlines the addition of seven new schools and the renovation of nine current schools in the district.
Superintendent of the Jefferson County Board of Education, Dr. Craig Pouncey, explains that the purpose of this project is two-fold.
“The capital outlay plan will eliminate the use of seventy-five (75) portable classrooms and replace the older, worn-out elementary schools in the district,” says Dr. Pouncey.
The plan addresses the many safety concerns of those schools built before 1970 which currently affects over 10,000 students.
Phase I includes construction of a new elementary school in the Grayson Valley area. Dr. Pouncey reasons that this additional school, noted as the Eastern Area School, will allow JefCoEd to eliminate the 12-year-old interim Pinson school zone.
“We currently have two elementary schools in this area including Chalkville and Clay. With this proposed addition, we are discussing the idea of a “Choice Option” with a thematic focus regardless of where the student resides,” Dr. Pouncey adds.
The superintendent provided three choices currently under consideration: traditional, arts and STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math). This addition will also address the serious over-crowding in these fast-growing areas of the county.
In addition, Phase I proposes school additions and renovations, including the demolition and remodeling of Erwin Middle School’s (formally Erwin High School) buildings and athletic field as well as Center Point High School and Pinson Valley High School’s athletic fields, and the renovation of Rudd Middle School.
Dr. Pouncey says the capital campaign was made possible through the passing of this year’s ad valorem tax benefiting school districts in Jefferson County. On March 7th, more than ninety-two percent of voters approved the $100 million property tax collection that supports the district.
Although the Board has not made plans for the construction projects just yet, Dr. Pouncey says, “We had already begun preliminary necessities for full implementation for the capital plan,” referring to the June demolition of the Erwin High School stadium.
There are several legal matters pertaining to JefCoEd moving forward with this project and Dr. Pouncey is confident their proposal will gain approval for these improvements.
The finances for such an aggressive endeavor is still being finalized and will include selling bonds this fall. Once plans have been established, the Board will involve all community stakeholders for collaboration on these projects.
As far as Erwin’s “Eagle Wall”, Superintendent Pouncey assured me that no plans have been made regarding its removal.
Current fields which will be renovated for Erwin Middle and Center Point High.
Demolition of Erwin old stadium still in progress preparing for JefCoEd capital plan
69 Comments
Amy Lovell Blalock
The new school in Grayson Valley will filter to where?
Tere Vermillion Sizemore
Love that wall!
Jimmy Goeb
Where at in Grayson Valley?
Matt Clay
How about renovation to CCHS. if any school deserves it, it needs to be CCHS
Matt Clay
Currently Grayson Valley goes to Pinson. I would assume that will not change unless city of Clay may zone GV into Clay city limits
Jane Matlock Reeves
This school will be to relieve overcrowding in Chalkville elementary. So they will go to CCMS. Same students that would have come here anyway.
Amy Lovell Blalock
Grrrrr. CCMS & CCHS need some relief!
Matt Clay
After actually reading the story, they will allow students to choose which school they wish to attend
Marlene Little Appleton
It’s about time!!
Marlene Little Appleton
Pinson is very old. Has not been renovated much in a long time.
Amy Lovell Blalock
Well I saw that they were considering the choice plan but I wasn’t sure what the choices would be.
Kimberley Brown Aids
CCHS is only about 20 years old. If ANY high school needs renovation, it’s PVHS!
Kimberley Brown Aids
They haven’t disclosed the location
Kimberley Brown Aids
Matt Clay – no, the HIGHLAND sector goes to Pinson. The GOLF course side goes to Clay
Matt Clay
PVHS had renovations and a fine arts building addition I think about 10 years ago
Jeremy Horton
Either way, I have to believe all 3 schools will then feed into Clay-Chalkville.
Kimberley Brown Aids
Amy Lovell Blalock as does Pinson.
Jeremy Horton
Unless they are buying up and demolishing homes, the only place that would make any sense would be in the kudzu on Chalkville Mountain Road.
Matt Clay
Other than Athletics Bldg and new turf (which city paid half) the main building has not had crap done to it in past 20 yrs. The colors on the inside are aqua/teal and purple tiles, not even the school colors
Jeremy Horton
CCHS has gone through tons of renovations over the last few years.
Matt Clay
Not to mention how bad it looks on the outside
Shades Valley was built about the same time and CCHS got the raw end of the deal when those two schools were built
Matt Clay
Jeremy, you are completely wrong
I graduated from Hewitt in 97, CCHS first year. Plenty of friends and wife went to clay, two kids that went to Clay. It has not had anything added but Athletic Bldg. The softball parents had to build the softball field at the school not the school system and just last year got a permanent fence put up with help of city not school system
Matt Clay
The middle school had a girls gym addition and wrestling room addition a few years back but not the high school
Amy Lovell Blalock
And Center Point has room that they don’t use….
Matt Clay
Amy, on another site I had some GV parents say part of those on Golf course side were zone pinson. Sorry if I misunderstood them or thought wrong
Nick Pearson
Matt have you been by CCHS in last two months they have completely redid the outside and completely painted the inside to match school colors.
Amy Lovell Blalock
No worries
Matt Clay
Well if that the case then I stand corrected. My daughter graduated in 2016 and I started homeschooling my son this year
Matt Clay
If a ll they did is throw paint on walls, I don’t call that renovations. That is just maintenance
Chris Clark
CCH definitely needs some relief. Most schools around are jam packed.
Terri Franklin-Bayles
Jeremy Horton that would be a nightmare for traffic
Jimmy Goeb
Not big enough
Sharon Blackwood Wilbourn
Amy Lovell Blalock nobody want to go to CP schools. I live in CP. The kids in my neighborhood, Parkway Estates, go to Pinson schools.
Kevin Small
I really regret not voting to form our own school system 10 years ago.
Qiana Mac
TiJuana Duke
Amy Lovell Blalock
Sharon Blackwood Wilbourn I get it…
Jeremy Horton
I agree Jimmy Goeb, but off the top of my head it’s the largest open space left in Grayson Valley.
Matt Clay
BTW, I seen the plans for new softball field and new turf at PVHS. Paid for by school system. Like I said before, softball field at CCHS was built and paid for softball parents, with donations and some help from city of Clay, not school system.
Scott White
Maybe a new middle school or High school in Grayson Valley. That would be great as well.
Scott White
Matt Clay exactly and softball does not get crap.
Briana Moore
So CC schools are now going to be open to anyone to attend?
Stephanie Hughes Gilley
Erwin Middle needs it worse than any schools I’ve seen or been in…hope it gets more than just a bandaid!
Debbie Elrod Reynolds
It’s all in need of big help at Erwin I’m 60 and went there so it’s been around!
Pam Kennington
Please don’t remove the eagle.
Jimmy Goeb
They can buy my house
Karen Frame Rodda
Baseball got the same treatment. We didn’t have power to run field lights for months! All maintenance done by parents and coaches
TiJuana Duke
We definitely need them 🙌🏽🙌🏽
Eric Leslie
Parkway Estates has been zoned Pinson for 30+ years
Eric Leslie
Erwin Intermediate is using the old middle School gym and old middle School classrooms that are nearly 50 years old or more…
EIS isn’t even on the list
Amy Lovell Blalock
I am aware of that but this post really has nothing to do with Parkway Estates. LOL
Shelby Wright Turner
Tim Shell
Michele Goeb Parker
Matt Clay not all of Grayson Valley goes to Pinson. The country club side is zoned CC not Pinson.
Stephanie Hughes Gilley
Erwin intermediate did get a new building but they are using some of the old buildings & the gym is awful that’s for sure!
CaTonya Scott
Starisha Holloman Vaughn Pamela Steele Latonya Bolden
CaTonya Scott
Quizzette Brown
Heather Marie
It will only be successful if they get Bell out of Birmingham and clean up those streets. I’m from Trussville. We moved further north to get as far away from Birmingham as humanly possible but still be in the state. Fewer and fewer want to stay in surrounding areas because of the violence and drugs flowing from Birmingham.
Ron Hyche
Pinson Valley High has had many renovations since 2010. They have a new field house which was finished in 2010,remolded softball and baseball complex where people would not have to walk in mud at the softball complex. Remodeled the football stadium which made it accessible for everyone with an elevator installed for access to the downstairs concession area with no help from the City of Pinson or Joe. New fine arts building, lunchroom remodeled,new football and soccer practice field. New accessibility to the greenhouse area. The football field was improved two years ago. Purchased land for a new softball complex a couple years ago. There have been many improvements at Pinson Valley High in less than ten years. Is a new softball and baseball complex going to be built now and the football field getting artificial turf?
Janna Devenyns
Douglas Tyler Devenyns
Ron Hyche
Matt Clay How does the handicapped get to the Clay softball field? Do you talk to the parents or boosters on how to make arrangements for handicapped accessibility to the softball complex or to JefCoEd? Also where do the handicapped park for a Clay football game in 2017?
Beth Box
Freida Green Box
Matt Clay
Handicap access is at the LF foul pole.
I was thinking there is some handicap spaces at parking area.
Blame school system for it. Parents worked with what they had to work with for softball field
Scott McBride
They need a new Kitchen!!!!! At Erwin Middle
Matt Clay
While I know Erwin middle is old, center Point got a new elementary and high school within last few years. Clay & chalkville area has not had a new school in 20 years
Becky Gann Johnson
I voted for it!😉
Stephanie Hughes Gilley
The classrooms have window unit air conditioners, you can feel the wind coming through the windows they are so old, the heat in half the rooms barely blow through the vents if at all, & their are leaks all over…you can only put so many band aids on it til they don’t do any good!
Adam Bryant McAllister
Its more than big enough… and if anything, would be a perfect location, because of the impact it would NOT have on traffic.
Ron Hyche
They are wrong at the softball complex. Also the handicap parking spaces in the parking lot for the football game are wrong by ADA standards. Someone needs to check on ADA standards and make some adjustments. We don’t live in the past we all live in 2017 now. This is a prime example of parents doing work at the schools without having knowledge of the building codes. I will give an example: The dugouts at the PVHS softball complex were tore down by the softball parents and they built one back and JefCoEd made them take it down again because it did not meet the codes of Jefferson County. Leave the building on JefCoEd property to JefCoEd not the parents, JefCoEd has qualified people to build the complexes.
Matt Clay
I agree with you. I’m frustrated I see new schools getting built, school system paying for fancy athletic buildings & fields and then at CCHS the parents have to do fundraisers, get donations, and go to the city to help make improvements for 20 years.
Matt Clay
I really just hate the design of CCHS when you look at other Jefferson County Schools built like Shades Valley & Gardendale High