By By MICHELE GERLACH Publisher
Only four residents took advantage of the Brewton Board of Education's invitation to local residents to express their opinions about a proposed new middle school. A number of local residents attended the meeting, which rarely draws a crowd, to hear what was said.
Superintendent Lynn Smith extended the invitation through local parent teacher organizations and the local media in an attempt to get input from local residents about the new school.
Joan Owen, who has taught at Brewton Middle School for 32 years, was the first to speak. She said it doesn't matter to her where a new school is built.
Owens said the middle school environment, in which students change classes rather than remain in a "contained" classroom each day, is good for fifth graders.
Terry Riese said he supports construction of a new school.
Another resident said, "Dogwood Hills is as good a location as any," she said. "Any location is better than not having a new school at all."
Former city councilman Mervin Huff spoke strongly against building a school on the existing golf course.
In other business, the board:
o Heard a report from T.R. Miller High School principal Donnie Rotch and assistant principal Mary Bell. Last month, board member Terrill Neal asked for information about weighted grade point averages.
Bell researched 12 colleges and universities in Alabama and found that most recalculate grade point averages when considering admission and scholarship applications. Based on the research, it was recommended that TRM's advanced classes be renamed "honors' classes because some colleges weight honors classes when re-calculating GPAs.
Bell and Rotch also are recommending that the scale for GPAs be changed, with an A-plus becoming a 4.3 rather than a 4.0. When implemented, the change would affect all students equally.
No action was taken on the matter.