New Middle School in Point Washington

[kloli]

If Bay had become a charter middle school (which is what they were trying for--a charter Middle school, not Elementary school), then there still would not be an elementary school option for families on the eastern side of Sowal and we'd still be either driving 80 miles a day to drop-off and pick-up, or the children would be on the bus for over 3 hours a day.

As Tootsie says, the time was not right. As I see is Bay IS perfect as the wonderful little elementary school that we have today. Small schools are the best educational environment, although large schools are more cost efficient. I will hate to see the day when Bay is closed and the new school built. However, that is most likely many years away.

Bay has been is use continuously since 1938--first as the only school in South Walton, K-12. After Butler was built and the high schoolers were bused to Freeport, it was a small middle school. After the middle school left, it was immediately retrofitted to be the Kindergarten for all of South Walton for 3 years and then used as a Kindergarten/ 1st grade for families on the eastern side for 1 year. Now it is in its 2nd year of being a K-5 school. In my opinion, Bay should have become a K-5 school immediately after the middle school moved out.

I agree! Bay is perfect as it is...it was ideal when my son was in kindergarten back when that was all Bay offered. The year before, they offered pre-k and kindergarten. At the time, they didn't need much more. The kids kept coming and we are now at capacity. It worked great for me as they added 1st, then 2nd through 5th grades. He's now in 3rd grade and hopefully they keep it as is until he's done.

I think it will remain this way for many years to come. They didn't build that gym for nothing!

 

[Camp Creek Kid]

While on my soap box, I must say that South Walton has treated Middle School like "Stuck in the Middle" School. No long range plans have been in place until now. They have moved the students from Bay, to ECMS now to the new school. This is a very fragile age for kids. They need a since of autonomy I pray that the new school will provide them with it.

You forgot the 2 (or 3) years that the middle school students were housed in a wing at the high school. I agree that there needs to be some permanence for the middle school students. I think part of the problem is that for so long there just hadn't been a large middle school population and then when there was, the school district had to scramble to keep up--lack of long-term planning. Even 4 or 5 years ago, any student who wanted to go to Seaside could get in. Also, as you know, Bay as a middle school only had around 100 students. With Seaside and Bay together there was only a little over 200 middle school students, plus those who live in Sandestin who go to Destin Middle School. One of the stupidest things that the school district did was to build the temporary middle school as an addition to Butler. Why didn't they just build a new school in the first place?

Bay was not closed, it is and has always been a school. When the middle school was moved out, the building was put to use as a kindergarten, which is where the greater need was. I agree that is was a very emotional time, and I personally will hate to see it closed if/when the new elementary school is built. During the charter process for Bay I believe that the county should have been forthright about their plans for the building (making it a Kindergarten). That would have helped those who supported the charter middle school to understand that there was another planned use for the building--that it wasn't available for use as a middle school. With that being said, a charter middle school could and can be successful if the group that supports it has their own facilities. I know there is interest in a charter high school.

As it is now, our student population is growing very slowly. When the new middle school is built, that will free up a lot of space at Butler and there won't be a need for a new elementary school for many years. Destin Middle School is begging for students now. Two years ago, it was impossible to get a waiver to attend. Now they are even moving two 5th grade classes in with a special track in French and art. They have to keep their enrollment up to 600 to keep their funding and they are having a hard time.

However, the high school was built too small and there is a need for expansion there.

 

[organicmama]

We love Bay, too. Our oldest was in K & 1st (1/2 year) at Butler & it was fine, but just fine. I wasn't in love with it. She did well & all that, but she's more open when she gets home from school now. Her lowest grade last week on her progress report was a 99.She needed a small school so much.

I do hope the middle school issues are solved by the time mine get that age. Right now, I'm not so enthused with the options. Romeosmydog is totally right on.

 

[Romeosmydog]

Oh yeah... I forgot to add the sillyness of moving the kids into SWHS. 190. We had 190 students 6-9 at our peek at Bay Middle. They started off in a closet at SWHS because of over crowding.

Bay was actually closed for a year BEFORE we opened the middle school. After they moved the kids to Butler. We fought to open a middle school alternative to SMS. The district agreed and approved the deregulation plan at that time. They allowed us to have 9th graders so that students could be of driving age before they were sent off to Freeport. (our only high school option at the time)

 

[wrobert]

Correct. The flooring was optional. Upon investigation, we found that many of the school gyms in Walton County were provided with flooring paid for by school PTOs. Butler's gym/flooring was privately donated. Our alternative was to use the concrete foundation itself. The same applies to the A/C. PTO either pays for it or we don't have it. PTO has argued these points and held countless meetings regarding these, and other gym related issues. We were shocked as well.

Still does not make any sense in the way the budgets work. The district has always had more than enough money to pay for capital projects in the last few years. The PTOs should be raising dollars to supplement the dollars going to teachers for supplies. That money comes out of the operating budget and is always where the shortages seem to hit. I see it done all the time, but I have yet to find a school board member to explain why.

 

[ShallowsNole]

One of the stupidest things that the school district did was to build the temporary middle school as an addition to Butler. Why didn't they just build a new school in the first place?

Two words: Garbage Dump. The only land the county had available was the old Blue Mountain Beach landfill, and SWHS needed the classroom space the middle schoolers occupied, then.

There is an old adage which seems to be very, very true when speaking of schools in South Walton: build it, and they will come. I remember when we insisted that SWHS be built. The "numbers" didn't support it. The school board was criticized severely for "caving in to those South Walton people." This is one of the reasons the middle-schoolers were moved from Bay to SW - to fill space.

Fast-forward (Romeo, how many years?), and guess what. South Walton High School is AT CAPACITY, Emerald Coast Middle School was AT CAPACITY the moment they moved in, and those who scoffed at K-12 education south of the bay are being very, very quiet.

 

[seagrovegirl]

Oh...I long for the days when Bay Elem. was so tiny. I've mentioned this before, Shallowsnole can verify......We were at Bay when the 5th, 6th & 7th grade shared the same classroom/teacher and there were only 11 of us.

 

[ShallowsNole]

Oh...I long for the days when Bay Elem. was so tiny. I've mentioned this before, Shallowsnole can verify......We were at Bay when the 5th, 6th & 7th grade shared the same classroom/teacher and there were only 11 of us.

Your family moving in was a major event around here. We only had nine before y'all showed up!

 

[Teresa]

Your family moving in was a major event around here. We only had nine before y'all showed up!

I've heard the stories about you chillens back in the day. I hear some didn't wear shoes.




thank you CCK and romeos for sharing the details on Bay school and its history. before I had a kid, I didn't really keep up with the school situation but even I was upset about the charter school failure. maybe things have worked out for the best - I don't know - I am happy to see it as an elementary school I must say, but I am so sorry to hear about the treatment of the staff who had the courage to propose real progress in our schools. thanks to you all. don't give up!

 

[BeachSiO2]

They are currently working on an elementary charter school in our neighborhood in SC. The community is really behind it and we are all pitching in even though some of us are not planning on sending any new enrollees anytime soon.