First EES Public Hearing Taking Place Tonight

The first public hearing regarding the proposed closing of Eastanollee Elementary School is set for tonight (Mar. 30).

Stephens County School Superintendent Bryan Dorsey said that tonight’s public hearing will begin promptly at 6:30 p.m. at the Tugaloo Center for the Performing Arts at Stephens County High School.

“We will start with calling the meeting to order and approving the agenda,” said Dorsey. “There will be a presentation on what the school closing and re-structuring would look like, provide some of those facts. At that point, there would be an opportunity for any Board members who would like to make a member comment. Then we would open it up to public comment. There will be sign-up sheets available prior to the meeting for people to sign up for public comment.”

Dorsey said he believes each speaker will be given 3 to 5 minutes to speak before the Board of Education on the proposed closing of Eastanollee Elementary.

He went on to say that comments should be focused on the proposed closing of the school.

“The purpose of the meeting and the legal requirement is concerning the closing of Eastanollee Elementary and where those students would be placed,” said Dorsey.

He said comments about the budget not related to the closing of the school would be more appropriate for a regular board meeting.

This is the first of two public hearings required by state law regarding the proposed closing of Eastanollee Elementary.

The second hearing will be on April 13, also at 6:30 p.m. at the Tugaloo Center for the Performing Arts at Stephens County High School.

A final vote on the school closing will come after the public hearings and Dorsey said he hopes for the Board to make its final decision on the school in April.

Earlier this month, the Stephens County Board of Education voted to authorize Dorsey and school system staff to initiate a Fiscal Year 2016 budget reduction plan that would initiate the possible closing of Eastanollee Elementary, re-structure grades Pre-K through five, and develop a reduction in force plan.

Under Dorsey’s proposal, the school system would close Eastanollee Elementary and move all Pre-K and Kindergarten students to Big A Elementary, 1st and 2nd grade to Liberty Elementary, 3rd and 4th grades to Toccoa Elementary, and 5th grade would then move to Stephens County Middle School in a separate 5th Grade Academy.

Dorsey said the total budget reduction plan he proposed would save the school system an estimated $1.9 million a year.

He said the cuts are necessary in order to help get the school system back to a position where it is not borrowing money through Tax Anticipation Notes to fund school system operations before the start of a fiscal year.

AM 630 WNEG and wnegradio.com will broadcast tonight’s hearing from the Tugaloo Center at Stephens County High School starting at 6:30 p.m.