Supporting Educational Enrichment in Daphne's Schools

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$20 Million in School Improvements
Under Way in Daphne

The sound of heavy equipment and construction crews can be heard on campuses throughout Daphne these days as the city’s public schools prepare to benefit over the coming months from some $20 million in new construction and facility upgrades.

“We’re thrilled with the building and renovation work that will be taking place during the next year at both the public elementary schools in Olde Daphne and -- prior to the opening of school this fall – at the Daphne High stadium,” said Ruth Seawell, president of SEEDS.

“These school improvement projects are a direct result of Daphne citizens coming together over the past three years to be clear and focused about what we want for our community,” she added.

“We want to thank the Baldwin County Board of Education for carefully considering our needs – and for having the vision to undertake some new research using the latest technology and growth management strategies to plan effectively for the phenomenal growth taking place in east Daphne,” said Seawell.

A brief overview of each Daphne public school capital outlay project currently on tap or under consideration follows.

W. J. Carroll Elementary School

The biggest news, of course, is the construction of a comprehensive new school for students in grades 4-6 at W. J. Carroll Elementary School, located at 1000 Main Street on the south end of Olde Daphne. Groundbreaking was held in February and renovation of the school’s gymnasium – including floor refinishing and the addition of new bleachers and air conditioning – is scheduled for completion by August of this year.

The new 65,000 square-foot instructional facility is then slated to open in August 2008. The 40+ classroom structure, with a façade that will feature stately columns and arches, was designed by TAG (The Architects Group) with community input regarding Daphne’s Italian heritage in mind. Stuart Contracting is serving as general contractor for the project.

Prior to beginning construction, the Baldwin County Board of Education relocated the historic wooden building that once housed part of Baldwin County Training School to the southeast corner of the property and restored it for continued use as the school’s office while the new facility is being built. Upon completion, the historic building will be converted to a museum by members of the Daphne community and the flat-top buildings on the south end of campus will be demolished to make room for additional parking.

Daphne Elementary School

The beautiful, historic K-3 school campus anchoring the north end of Olde Daphne at 2307 Main Street is also set for a major facelift over the coming year.

Daphne Elementary School, established in 1939, will receive an estimated $4-5 million in improvements that include:

Construction of a gymnasium and new cafeteria;
Renovation of the existing auditorium (including the addition of air conditioning);
Renovation of the existing cafeteria to create an expanded library facility;
Renovation of the main classroom building (including the addition of central air conditioning and window restoration)
Construction of a new traffic loop

Architectural drawings are now being completed and, following approval by the state, bids will be received and a contractor selected within the coming weeks.

Daphne High School Stadium

Most locals know that Daphne High School Stadium has provided the setting for many proud moments since it opened in 1990. From regional championship games to annual graduation ceremonies, Trojan Field has been central to Daphne community life for the past 17 years.

Now this beloved facility is finally receiving a long-overdue upgrade. Through a cooperative effort between the Baldwin County Board of Education ($1 million), the City of Daphne ($1 million) and the DHS Quarterback Club ($200,000), a total of $2.2 million will be invested by the end of this summer to expand the stadium’s seating capacity (from 4,500 to 6,000) and to equip the facility to better serve hometown fans and visitors alike.

Besides creating additional seating, stadium renovation will include the construction of a new concession and ticket booth facility, additional restrooms, and a visitors’ side-dressing room. Future additional improvements (pending funding availability) may also address the need for a new track surface, new visitors’ seating, and more restrooms.

Daphne East Elementary and Continuing Growth on the Eastern Shore

Completed in 2004, Daphne East Elementary is located just south of Daphne Middle School on County Road #13. The campus currently serves approximately 600 students in grades K-5.

The school district’s Comprehensive Building Plan, approved in 2005, included a new classroom wing for Daphne East during Phase I of its implementation. However, recent extensive growth in the east Daphne area has caused school officials to begin reconsidering their options.

According to Mike Keating, director of planning and construction management for the school district, “We’re currently tracking some 30-40,000 new housing units in various stages of development across Baldwin County.”

“Unless we find some new ways to plan to meet this kind of growth, we will always be behind when it takes 18 months to build a school and developers can put up 1000 new homes in six months,” he added.

That’s why the Baldwin County Board of Education has undertaken a pilot study to measure the impact of new development on Daphne East Elementary. The project is being conducted in cooperation with the Baldwin County Commission and represents an effort to establish a concurrency management system that can help ensure adequate public facilities and services are available to incorporate new development.

Over the next few months, school board and county officials will share information – including data generated by new GIS (Geographic Information System) technology – to determine whether a new wing or perhaps even an additional comprehensive elementary school is needed next in east Daphne. The pilot project will also help establish a standard county-wide process for reviewing proposed developments and their potential impact on school facilities and other infrastructure.

“With the population of Baldwin County estimated to nearly double by 2020, we know a significant portion of that growth will be along the Eastern Shore,” explained Terry Wilhite, communications director for the Baldwin County Public Schools.

“We appreciate everything SEEDS is doing to enhance education and to communicate about growth issues in our schools. As we grow, there will be inherent challenges ahead to communicate what is happening and why and to get input from the community. With the support of SEEDS, that work is made much easier,” he added.

School board member Tracy Roberts believes the school system is working hard to strike an important balance.

“I’m glad to see capital improvements under way in Daphne in the form of both new buildings and upgrades to existing structures,” said Roberts.

“We’re using tools like GIS to help us plan better, and we’re investing facility dollars where the kids are,” she added.

SEEDS president Ruth Seawell applauds the school board’s efforts and encourages everyone to get involved.

“We commend the Baldwin County Board of Education – not only for the progress that’s being made on the building program, but also for engaging stakeholders in the challenge of managing growth,” she said.