Hamilton city officials have unanimously commissioned a study to analyze the feasibility of creating a city-run education system and splitting ways with the Marion County School System, which currently operates all schools in the county outside of Winfield.
The step taken during a meeting on Monday, June 7, is just a study, but it does send a message. One, there is a strong and shared desire among Hamilton residents to support their local schools. Two, Hamilton believes its schools have a higher potential.
This isn’t a new belief or sentiment. There has been talk for decades about how Hamilton does not receive back in funding what it contributes in taxes and enrollment numbers. In 1992, there was a move to establish a Hamilton city school district. To the best of our knowledge, that initiative was smothered due to push-back from county and state opposition. But evidently, 30 years later, that ember has never died and has been smoldering. In the back of the minds of Hamilton residents, they are likely eyeing the city school systems in Winfield and Haleyville and the amenities afforded to them and opportunities available for their students.
See complete story in the Journal Record.
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