Please see the UPDATES following this message for important information, particularly Update #2. Seth Johnson Elementary School is now expected to remain open as an elementary school and retain its name. The Education Board will vote on Feb. 15. See details below. Thank you, Johnson Family Members!!

Dear Johnson Family Members,

The Seth Johnson Elementary School in Montgomery may soon be converted to a magnet school, and in this transition, there is the possibility that it will no longer be known by Grandfather Seth Johnson's name. The Montgomery School Board will meet tonight, 1 February 2011, to discuss the realignment of schools. At first the School Board planned to close Seth Johnson School. Now the School Board plans to change the school to a Magnet Middle School but retain the “Seth Johnson” name.
Many Family Members have expressed the wish that Seth Johnson School remain a neighborhood elementary School.

Now is the time to speak out! Your help is urgently needed to voice opposition to the renaming of the Seth Johnson School. Here is what you can do:

1.) Please contact the Montgomery School Board before they meet tonight and voice your opposition to the renaming of the school. The school board is elected and so, if you are a constituent, please let them know that. Click on this link to send an email to the chairperson of the school board:

http://www.mps.k12.al.us/Common/Email/Email.asp?DivisionID=5811&DepartmentID=0&SubDepartmentID=0&StaffID=19125
There you can send a message to Mrs. Meadows and click the box next to each school board member to send a copy to each member.

As background for your message... In 1960, Neva Johnson Bassett and Julian Bassett gave the land on which the school now stands to the Montgomery County School System in memorial to her father Seth Johnson. This was to serve as a reminder to the citizens of Montgomery that the Johnson family strongly supports education in this community. The Johnson family has donated new books worth thousands of dollars to the Seth Johnson School library and given many volunteer hours in service there. Johnson family members have taught for decades in the Montgomery schools and Seth Johnson's son C. Mac Johnson served on the Montgomery Board of Education for over 14 years. In summation, the Seth Johnson Family has supported high education standards for Montgomery's children for 50 years. And so, it is our strongest wish that the memory of our Grandfather Seth Johnson be preserved through the continued naming of this school in his honor.

Earlier this month, our Aunt Gene Johnson wrote a very moving letter of concern to the Montgomery Board of Education. Much of the information above is included in that letter. You can read it at:
http://www.brooknet.com/johnsonreunion/GBJ-letter.1.10.11.pdf

2.) If at all possible, please attend the Montgomery School Board meeting tonight and, if given the opportunity, voice your opposition to the renaming of the school.

The school board will meet on Tuesday, 1 February 2011, at 5:00 p.m. at:

      Johnnie R. Carr Jr. High School
      1610 Ray Thorington Rd.
      Montgomery, AL 36117

I will attend the meeting today and speak against the renaming the Seth Johnson School. I will also oppose changing the school from a neighborhood elementary school. Your presence and support would be greatly appreciated. Our presence in numbers as a family would speak volumes!

Thank you for your support and for your timely action. I hope to see you in Montgomery this evening.

Fondly, your cousin,

Judge O. L. "Pete" Johnson, Retired
205 567-1736 cell
205 870-3063 home
boysstate@brooknet.com

Update 1 Feb. 2011, 3:06 p.m.
Wylie Pierson Johnson (Uncle Wylie) wants to be sure that family members have correct information when they contact the school board. He sent the following:

I too would like for the name of the school to remain Seth Johnson. I think we should get our facts straight. I could be wrong; but, my recollection is that Neva did not give the land for school, she sold it. I do not know the exact timing; but, she also sold the land around the school to a developer for a residential subdivision. The subdivision is also named Seth Johnson. After the school was built I noticed the name on the building was Johnson School. I told Neva before the dedication of the school that Seth should be added to the name and offered to pay for adding the letters to the name on the front of the school. My offer was accepted and Seth was added before the dedication took place. At the dedication Neva presented the portrait of Seth Johnson that hangs in the school's library to the school.All the best.Uncle Wylie

 

Thank you, Uncle Wylie!


UPDATE #2 - 9 Feb. 2011
Seth Johnson Elementary School is now expected to remain open as an elementary school and retain its name. The Education Board will vote on Feb. 15. Thank you, family members, for stepping up to the plate and helping with this effort. You made a big difference! At a press conference at 3:00 this afternoon, Tom Salter, Senior Communications Officer for the Montgomery Public Schools, issued the following press release. Thank you, Gayle Anderson and Uncle Wylie, for passing this good news along to all of us.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 9, 2011

Superintendent Announces Revisions to School Consolidation and Zoning Plan

MONTGOMERY, AL─ Montgomery Public Schools Superintendent Barbara W. Thompson announced today that she has made adjustments to her proposal to consolidate schools and rework attendance zones in order to help meet a projected $10 million deficit.

“We took all the suggestions we received in our public hearings and looked at the possibilities, said Thompson. “While we could not meet every request, we were able to make some adjustments and actually increase our projected savings.”

The adjustments in the plan include:

    *     Students from Blount who were reassigned to Wilson will be returning to Blount
    *     Seth Johnson Elementary remains open
    *     McKee Elementary closes, becomes MacMillan Elementary Magnet
    *     Houston Hill closes completely
    *     Floyd Middle Magnet moves to McIntyre Middle
    *     A new middle magnet program will be introduced at Carr Middle School

Two public hearings have been scheduled to allow comments on these changes to the plan - Thursday, February 10, from 5:00 – 5:30 p.m. at the Professional Services Center, and Tuesday, February 15, from 4:00 – 5:30 p.m. at Carver High School. Those making comments are being asked to limit them to the adjustments to the superintendent’s original proposal.

“These changes will actually save more money while focusing on the best interest of students,” said Thompson. “The adjustments will increase our projected savings by $554,085 in onetime costs and $114,578 in annual savings. It eliminates the need to retrofit two schools and puts our system in a better position to make it through these harsh economic times.”

The Montgomery County School Board is scheduled to vote on the proposal on February 15, at 5:30 in a called meeting at Carver High School.