One Parent's Perspective

We moved from Lynn Haven to Mexico Beach last year but we also lived here ten years ago when I was stationed at Tyndall. When I heard the Bay County School Board made the announcement that Mexico Beach students would no longer be attending Gulf County Schools, I was very excited to hear the long needed change.

While I am certain Gulf County Schools are good schools, their programs are not equal to the classes and subjects that Bay County schools offer. The situation between the two districts is a financial one. Gulf County does not have the same tax base nor has the population of Bay County. Gulf County has grown dependent on the reimbursements Bay County has provided in the past. Do I believe parents should have the right to send their children to Gulf County schools? Absolutely. Should Bay County pay for it? Absolutely not. Should children of Mexico Beach be forced to attend Gulf County schools? Absolutely not because the districts do not provide equal education and opportunities.

As a taxpayer of many Mexico Beach properties, I pay the Bay County school tax millage rate. The amount of tax I paid over and above what I would have paid if I lived in Gulf County is $1,491. Therefore, I paid $1,491 dollars more in 2007 for the same valued property if my property were in Gulf County. The total amount of school related taxes I paid were $6,472-all went to the Bay County school system.

I am a parent of 3 school aged children and I had to fight the Bay County School Superintendent this year for the right for my children to attend Bay County schools and receive school transportation. Seems very strange that I had to fight for a right that, I as a Bay County tax payer, should have received without question. I partially won that battle-my elementary student and my handicapped student ride a Gulf County bus to Bay County schools since handicap children go to Margret K Lewis in Bay County. Gulf County does not have services for handicapped children. Since Tyndall Elementary is on the bus route, the Gulf County bus also transports my elementary child to Tyndall. I pay $200 a month for my high school student to commute to a Bay County high school. When we lived here before, there was not conflict. Bay County reimbursed me each month to transport my children to Bay County schools. At that time, there were virtually no school age students in Mexico Beach.

My high school student was allowed to continue attending Bay schools because she is a MAPPSs student. If bus transportation had been available, she would have transferred to Rutherford where they have an excellent IB program, similar to the MAPPS program. Bay County would not provide her transportation to Rutherford and we were told if she wanted school funded transportation that she would have to transfer to Port St Joe High School. We instead chose to have her commute to her current school rather than put her in a school system that could not provide her the education for which she needs.

Port St Joe High School just doesn't offer the same quality education a child can receive from Bay County High Schools. My daughter just made a 1380 on her SAT college entrance exam and several of her friends scored over 1400. These are incredible scores and provide the opportunity for students to be competitive for the best universities in the country. The Rutherford High School guidance office said they have students who have made a perfect SAT score. When I discussed SAT scores of children attending Port St Joe High School, the guidance office told me the highest score they could remember a student making was 1300. Port St Joe schools do work hard to provide quality education but they do not have the money in their budget to compete with Bay County schools. Many of Port St Joe High School classes are offered via video or online. If you have ever taken a class by video or online, you know you do not get the same educational synergy that a classroom teacher can provide.

The Mayor of Mexico Beach stated all the parents of Mexico Beach want their children to attend Gulf County Schools. That is a very bold statement from a gentleman that didn't ask me. I'm curious as to who are "all the parents". The parents I have spoken with have either fought like me to have their children attend Bay County schools and are paying their own transportation or they were told they had no choice and enrolled their children in Gulf County schools.

Aside from the quality/quantity of education, Mexico Beach should consider the long term effect on its city growth. I work at Tyndall AFB and I am always encouraging new residents to consider Mexico Beach because it is such a beautiful city. Those without children will often chose Mexico Beach over Panama City but those with children always tell me they would never move to Mexico Beach because they want their children in a better school district. When I explain to them that Mexico Beach is in Bay County and their children could probably attend Bay schools (I never mention the fight I endured), their response to me is that their realtor or the Bay district office tells them differently. One friend of mine that was determined to live on the beach chose to buy in Panama City Beach in order for his children to attend Bay schools. He commutes nearly an hour a day to Tyndall-all due the school district issues. Another common complaint parents make for deciding not to live in Mexico Beach even if they are satisfied with the quality of Gulf County school education is the time zone difference of Gulf County schools. People on Tyndall normally work 7:30 am to 4:00 pm. Even if they could arrange their schedules to meet the Gulf County school time of 6:55 CST to 1:55 CST, They would have to drive all the way to Port St Joe to pick up their children from after school programs-if they are provided. There are no after school programs in Mexico Beach. Bay County offers the Bay Base after school program at their schools and the Tyndall AFB Youth Center also provides before and after school care where children are transported to and from their school and the on-base center.

What is the solution to this issue?

One solution is the one Bay County is currently headed towards and that is providing school transportation to Mexico Beach students to attend Bay County schools. Current students attending Gulf County should be grandfathered and allowed to continue going to their current schools until they graduate or their parents feel their child is ready to transfer to a new school.

The second solution is to tax all property east of Tyndall AFB at Gulf County school tax rate and all monies be given to the Gulf County school district. This would give Gulf County the money necessary to provide additional classes and more opportunities for the students. There should also be a county sponsored after school program near Mexico Beach.

The bottom line is that taxpayers have the right to receive the amenities for which they are paying and Gulf County deserves to accommodate the tax base for which it is receiving school portion of property taxes. Neither is currently occurring.

As in districts all over the country, allow students in Mexico Beach to go to Gulf County but put the burden on the parent and charge an additional fee for an out of district student to attend and out of district school.

NOTES:

Distances per Google Maps are almost same in all instances to either Bay County Schools and Gulf County Schools. The commute is significant in both directions.

Search the internet to find parents all over the country pay the bill to send their children to out of district schools.

Lt Col Kim Holmes (retired)

Citizen of Mexico Beach