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The Chambers County School Board approved a change in grade levels for Bob Harding Shawmut Elementary School and LaFayette High School to address the overcrowding in both districts. The changes will now be submitted to the federal judge for his approval before it goes into effect. 

The change would allow third graders who live in the Shawmut school district to stay at the elementary school rather than moving on to Fairfax Elementary, where there are already seven third-grade classes. 

At LaFayette High, seventh and eighth graders at Eastside-JP Powell Magnet School would be housed in an unused wing. This would make LaFayette High a 7th through 12th-grade school. Eastside J.P. Powell Magnet School will be comprised of grades Kindergarten through sixth. 

The school board also approved the Summer Credit Recovery program as well as the following summer camps: Digital Productions, Maker Space and RC & F24 Racing. 

At the end of the meeting, the board voted to approve Superintendent Dr. Sharon Weldon’s recommendation to a settlement agreement after an executive session to discuss pending litigation. After the meeting, Weldon did not give a comment on the recommendation. 

Later, in the board meeting, Weldon gave her superintendent’s report about online shopping and the education tax. 

“We’re all about shopping online, and we love to just drive up and pick up our groceries and things like that,” Weldon said. “But one thing that I would like for people to think about is the difference in the amount of money that we get when we’re doing that.”

For example, Weldon explained that when you shop at the local grocery store, the tax goes to the local city and county government. However, when you order online, the local tax doesn’t always go to the local Walmart but rather to the regional office. 

Weldon encouraged residents to shop local when they can to help support their local county school districts. 

“I know sometimes it can’t be helped; sometimes it’s just we’re in a hurry, and that’s what we’re going to do,” Weldon said. “But I just want to encourage people, really, when you can, to get out and make those purchases in person, because that money comes into our school system.”