MCPSS BOE Set To Oppose Split

The Mobile County board of education is planning on filing a lawsuit to stop the cities of Chickasaw and Satsuma from forming their own school districts.  One of the supporters of the independent districts calls the lawsuit arrogant.

“This is just a delaying tactic, when I did Saraland they delayed us 7 or 8 months this is just a tactic,” says Chickasaw and Satsuma educational consultant Paul Sousa.  He says he believes the county isn’t following the law.  Sousa says state law clearly states municipalities of 5,000 people or more can form their own school districts if they want.

“I'm not very concerned about the lawsuit in the long run, I believe their claim is frivolous quite frankly I think they have a very weak claim against the city of Chickasaw and city of Satsuma,” says Chickasaw City Councilman Adam Bourne.  He says he’s concerned the MCPSS could move personnel and students out of Chickasaw before 2012 and that would hurt their independent school district.  A school spokesman couldn’t comment on the specifics of the lawsuit because it hasn’t been filed and their legal council wasn’t available today.