with text
BCS News & Notes

A newsletter for parents, students, staff and community

June 22, 2012
 
In This Issue
Three new schools to open
Article Headline
Quick Links
Alabama State Department of Education, www.alsde.edu

P.O. Box 10007
Birmingham, Alabama 35202
(205) 231-4610
Opening of new schools continues

Over the past several years, the Birmingham City School System has been working on a $400 million capital program that replaces or renovates more than half of the schools in the district. This past year, we opened six new schools and completed two major renovations.

 

This fall, we will be opening three new schools, including Huffman High School, Brown Elementary and Hayes K-8 School, a combination of Gibson Elementary and Whatley K-8. Students, staff and parents are excited about the new learning environments that are forthcoming.

 

In addition to new schools, the capital program has also allowed for technology-rich classrooms in all schools. The technology includes interactive smart boards, handheld device, and other digital devices for learning.

 

The capital program is another example of how we are transforming teaching and learning in the district. However, we must always remember that it's the quality teaching and learning experiences that makes the most difference. To that end, we will continue working diligently in these areas for the benefit of our students.

 

Sincerely,

Craig Witherspoon

Superintendent
Birmingham City Schools
Three new schools will debut in August
Huffman High, Hayes K-8 and Brown Elementary will be ready


Three new schools will open when the 2012-2013 school year begins in August. Huffman High School,

Huffman High School
Hayes K-8 School and Brown Elementary School all will welcome students into sparkling new facilities.

 

The new Huffman is being built next to the old school, which will be torn down to make way for athletic facilities, which will be completed in 2013. It is designed to accommodate 1,500 students.

 

Huffman features a career-technical wing that will include culinary arts and health sciences classrooms. It has a 750-seat auditorium and a cafeteria that will seat 500. An auditorium that seats

Hayes K-8 School
750 and both practice and competition gymnasiums are included.

 

 

Athletic facilities will include a competition football stadium with an eight-lane track for track and field events, as well as a field house.

 

Charles Williams and Associates is the architect. EMJ Corp. is the general contractor.

 

Hayes, which is on the site of the former Hayes High School, will house the students who formerly were zoned for Whatley K-8 School and Gibson Elementary School. It will accommodate 900 students.

 

It includes 40 classrooms, two computer labs, band and chorus rooms and classrooms for art, business education and English as a second language.  The cafeteria and gymnasium each will seat

Brown Elementary School
300.

 

 

Sherlock, Smith and Adams Inc. is the architect. Stabridg Construction Inc. is the general contractor.

 

Brown, which is on the site of the old school, will accommodate 500 students, It includes a computer lab, art and music classrooms and a media center with reading, browsing and study areas. It has a cafeteria that seats 175 and a gymnasium that will seat 300.

 

Khafra Inc. is the architect and Blalock Building Co. is the general contractor.

 

 

 
Meeting set to discuss North Birmingham, Lewis
Schools to be consolidated beginning in 2012-2013
 

Consolidation of North Birmingham and Lewis elementary schools already was planned as part of the district's capital improvement plan, which calls for construction of a new school to replace the two facilities. The two schools will be combined beginning with the 2012-2013 school year as part of a financial recovery plan approved by the Birmingham Board of Education.

 

A community meeting to discuss the consolidation is scheduled for 5 p.m. Wednesday, June 27, in the cafeteria at Lewis, 2015 26th Ave. North.  

 

 
Coming events 
 
The Birmingham Board of Education will have a regularly scheduled meeting at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 26, in the auditorium of the Administration Building, 2015 Park Place.
 
Sign up for BCS News & Notes!