Over the past several years, the Talladega City, Talladega County, Sylacauga City and Pell City school systems have been building new — and improving older — facilities across the two counties.Do the new facilities improve student scores on standardized tests like the Alabama Reading and Math Test or the Alabama High School Graduation Exam?
Not necessarily, but school administrators say student achievement isn’t measured in just testing scores and that new facilities are needed for a myriad of reasons, such as safety issues, technology and the accommodations of a growing school system.
Talladega County Schools Superintendent Suzanne Lacey said new facilities are wonderful for the communities, but she doesn’t specifically tie the new facilities with test scores.
“As far as hard evidence in comparing test scores and direct correlation to buildings, we don’t look at it in that way,” Lacey said. “We look at it from the achievement level and the progress in what’s going on in the classroom.”
In the past five years, the Talladega County School System has built five new facilities, including Munford Middle School, Munford High School, Drew Middle School, Lincoln High School and Fayetteville High School. Each of the new schools opened in 2005, with the exception of Fayetteville, which opened in 2006.
The cost of construction of the five schools totaled $29,229,058.
Lacey said strategies and support in the classrooms and professional development training provided to teachers is most important for learning.
“What research says about student achievement is (that) the teacher is the single most important factor in student achievement,” Lacey said. “I think, while these facilities are a wonderful thing, and we really feel that’s important because these communities voted to increase their taxes to build these facilities, the teacher and the teacher strategies are the things that are going to make a difference. These facilities certainly help support that and support the learning environment because we’re able to do things in the new facilities with technology that are difficult or more challenging in an old building.”
Dr. Frank Buck, curriculum and special education director and special education supervisor for the Talladega City School System, agrees modern facilities can be built to accommodate new technologies that can be incorporated into the classroom.
The last school built in the city system was Hal Henderson Elementary, which opened in the 1980s. Additional classrooms were added at R.L. Young Elementary two years ago, which cost approximately $750,000. Buck said additions to Henderson and Salter Elementary schools have occurred in the past 10 years.
Renovations are now under way to the front hallway and classrooms at Graham Elementary, which opened in 1938, reportedly cost approximately $600,000.
Buck said there is a possibility facilities could influence scores.
“Many things go into a quality education,” Buck said. “I wouldn’t’ put facilities at the top of the list. I would put a great teacher at the top of the list because I’ve seen great teachers do great things in terrible facilities, and I’ve seen terrible teachers do terrible things in great facilities. But, all else being equal, a good teacher in a good facility is going to get better results than a good teacher in a bad facility.”
He added that socioeconomic differences in the schools would also be a strong influence.
“There are some high performing schools in old buildings because of the socioeconomic differences in the schools,” Buck said. “Socioeconomic makeup influences every school in America.”
Schools in the Pell City system underwent a mass reorganization this year with the opening of the $10.5 million Elouise and Harold Williams Intermediate School.
All five of the system’s elementary schools went from housing kindergarten through fifth-grade students to just serving K-4. The Williams Intermediate School is home to the system’s fifth- and sixth-graders, Duran South is entirely a seventh-grade facility and Duran North’s students are eighth-graders. Pell City High is the ninth- though 12th-grade facility.
“I don’t think there’s any question that having nice facilities and a good learning environment enhances education,” Superintendent Dr. Bobby Hathcock said. “The rooms are comfortable, there are nice desks and there’s new technology, so I think the learning environment is important in the entire educational process. And the entire educational process influences what your test scores are.”
He said at some point, school systems don’t have any choice but to build new facilities to accommodate a growing school system or replace older buildings.
Sylacauga City Schools Superintendent Jane Cobia said inherent issues with older buildings, like plumbing, electrical wiring, air conditioning and other problems, are reasons to renovate old, or build new, school facilities.
Within the Sylacauga system, Nichols-Lawson Middle School, which cost approximately $11 million, opened in 2004.
Recent renovations at Pinecrest and Indian Valley cost around $1 million. Renovations included 12 classrooms, four student restrooms and a cafeteria expansion, as well as kitchen work at Pinecrest.
“You want to be able to provide a safe learning environment for your students, however, key factor for student achievement is having a caring, competent teacher,” Cobia said.
Each school system has plans to keep updating its facilities.
Lacey said the system’s five-year capital plan includes building schools in each of the communities.
The Sylacauga Board of Education is considering additions to the high school building to include a new kitchen and classroom wing; plans for the expansion are in the school’s five-year plan.
Construction work on Pell City High School’s new ninth-grade addition began last month.
