Table of Contents

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    Introduction

    On Feb. 20, 2024, during the 2024 Session of the Alabama State Senate, District 11 Senator Lance Bell (R-Pell City) introduced a bill that would correct both the governance of the Pell City School System and the voting population for the St. Clair County School System: SB 141

    Overview

    Enrolled as Alabama Act 2024-111, it will appear on ballots in St. Clair County as Local Amendment 1. It establishes the process for appointing ALL members of the Pell City Board of Education. At least two members must be appointed from the county portion of the Pell City Schools Attendance Zone.

    If the referendum passes, Local Amendment 1 sets out that St. Clair residents who live in the county portion of the Pell City Schools Attendance Zone can no longer impact elections for the Superintendent and Board of Education for St. Clair County Schools.

    Analysis

    Approximately 53 percent of the students who attend Pell City Schools live outside the City Limits of Pell City. Since its formation in 1982, these residents have never had voting representation on the Pell City Board of Education.

    The approximately 14,000 residents of the Pell City Attendance Zone who live outside City Limits cannot attend county schools, yet they are tasked with electing the Superintendent and Board of Education Members for SCCS.

    Residents of the Attendance Zone voted to approve a property tax increase in 2022. These residents now pay property tax directly to Pell City Schools. Prior to the vote, the Board of Education promised voting representation to these residents. There are presently two advisory board members from the attendance zone.

    Also, for many years, the County Board has requested that residents of the Pell City Attendance Zone be given representation in Pell City – where their children attend school – and be excluded from voting in County School elections.

    Local Amendment 1 was developed jointly by Sen. Bell, the Pell City Board of Education, the City of Pell City, and the St. Clair County Board of Education to uphold these promises.

    Appointed

    The Pell City Board of Education engaged the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham to review and recommend a solution for fair representation for the Attendance Zone. RPC recommended an appointed Board of Education.

    In 2023, 12 Alabama systems had all schools earn an “A” on their State Report Cards. 10 are governed by appointed Boards of Education (Alabama State Department of Education, alphabetical)

    9 of the top-10 public high schools in Alabama are governed by appointed Boards of Education (U.S. News & World Report)

    Ballot Language

    “Relating to St. Clair County, proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 2022, to specify that only the qualified electors of St. Clair County who are served by the St. Clair County Board of Education may vote for the county superintendent of education and the members of the county board of education; to change the Pell City Board of Education from an elected to an appointed board; to specify that the appointed members of the Pell City Board of Education shall be qualified electors who reside within the Pell City School Attendance Zone and Tax District; and to specify that at least two members of the Pell City Board of Education shall reside within the county portion of the Pell City School Attendance Zone and Tax District.”

    Proposed by Act 2024-111.

    Yes( ) No( )

    Local Amendment 1

    Appointing the members of the Pell City Board of Education is a recommended solution to the 42-year-old problem of taxation without representation for residents of the Pell City Attendance Zone, as it gives these residents the right to serve the schools their children attend. 

    Nothing contained herein intends to advocate in favor of or against the local ballot measure.  The information is provided for the purpose of informing members of the public about the upcoming election, providing objective analysis or factual information about the local ballot measure, and encouraging citizens to vote.