Weldon ‘unpauses’ consolidation effort, moves forward on new high school
Published 7:48 pm Monday, January 27, 2025
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During the Monday night meeting of the Chambers County School Board, Superintendent Dr. Sharon Weldon recommended to unpause the consolidation effort.
After an hour-long executive session, the school board voted unanimously to approve Weldon’s recommendations with the exemption of Candace Lyons who was absent from the meeting.
Weldon will give a status update to Judge Kieth Watkins, who has overseen the consolidation case, on Tuesday in Opelika. She said she would update the federal judge on the consent decree to unpause consolidation. Neither Weldon nor the board discussed the concrete plans for consolidation at the board meeting.
The board will meet with Watkins in court at 9:30 CT at 701 Avenue A in Opelika.
The Superintendent said “unpausing,” will allow the administration to make decisions and progress on the consolidated high school. Weldon is in contact with the project managers, HPM, and architecture firm Cooper Carry to renew their contracts and has reached out to a bond agency for financing.
“There are some things that I do have to say in and want to look at and change…right now, we just got to get back on the healing process,” she said.
Weldon did not go into detail on the things she wishes to change; however, she did comment on the court decision to locate the school in Valley. Watkins ruled the location would be in Valley in 2023.
“The recommendation as far as the location, it’s out of my hands because the board made that decision back before I was elected…I don’t have the authority to take something back,” Weldon explained. “I respect the board. I respect the federal judge. And how everybody feels; it’s going to be a mixture [of emotions].”
Time at the end was set aside for board members to ask Weldon questions if they choose. Jay Siggers and Reco Newton were the only board members to use their time.
Siggers had multiple questions for Weldon the first asking, “Is what we voted on tonight, is it the best option going forward, In your opinion?”
Weldon replied, “I think it is the best option going forward. I’ve had some time to be in here to read through things that have been done…collected some more information, and I feel very confident that we’re moving in the right direction.”
Siggers also asked if Weldon had talked with the Chambers County Development Authority and if it helped her, “Change her mind on some things.”
She said she had talked with the CCDA, who gave her, “additional information.”
Newton asked about the closed school buildings.
“Those [school] buildings being closed, we still have to pay the insurance on those buildings, and still have to pay the upkeep on those, that is money that we can be saving. So, as quickly we can turn them over to the city that will help us,” Newton said.
Weldon agreed and asked Bob Meadows, the school board attorney, to speak on timing. Meadows said the board would have to decide whether to get rid of the building first and that there are some legal requirements to give land to the city. He did not give a timeline.
Weldon emphasized wanting to bring the community into conversations regarding decisions surrounding consolidation.
“How are we going to make sure that we’re moving forward in a way that every single child that qualifies and wants to participate can? I think that’s where we have to pull in the community, and that’s where everybody has to talk,” Weldon said.
“There’s going to be mixed feelings all over this country about every decision that we make, and I think that we have a huge responsibility in ensuring that everybody’s taken care of,” she said.