Ragland community rallies together to save high school from closure

ST. CLAIR COUNTY, Ala. ( WIAT ) — Alumni and parents gathered at the St. Clair County School Board meeting Tuesday to discuss the fate of Ragland High School.

Following last school year, the Superintendent of St. Clair County Schools Dr. Justin Burns said enrollment numbers decreased, leading to less state funding and the possibility for the school to shut down.

Emotions ran high at the meeting as a few of the Ragland High School parents stood in front of the school board to share their concerns. Dr. Ashley Bowlin is among the parents who spoke.

“A lot of us lost sleep. We were sick over it. Still, you know, it’s hard to talk about it,” Dr. Bowlin said. “It was very refreshing to feel like there was transparency about everything. I think it also helped the community see where we sit numbers wise and what its going to take to keep the school open.”

Bowlin said she and other parents learned about the possible closure of the school over the summer.

“We have a problem. We have an enrollment issue, and we guaranteed them this school year,” Dr. Burns said during the board meeting.

Dr. Burns said the fight to keep the enrollment numbers up and to bring more state funding to the school is an ongoing battle. Currently, the school has 395 students enrolled K-12.

“We’re trying to get a couple more years out of this so if we can get three years of trying to get enrollment up. Hopefully, that will give us a better opportunity,” said Dr. Burns.

St. Clair County School Board Chairman Scott Suttle says the board will do their part to find the best solution to keep the doors at Ragland High School open.

“There are a number of possibilities. The possibility of a district tax that has to come from the community. It’s another opportunity to fund the teachers even if we don’t see the enrollment come up and it would also make sure we kept the doors open here,” Suttle said.

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