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Recipients of Cherokee County discovered that something was wrong with the funding of schools in the county when officials decided to transfer seventeen of the twenty employees of the Cherokee County Career and Technology Center. To add fuel to fire, contracts of remaining three employees were terminated. This effectively meant that the Technology Center would no longer operate in the county.
The residents of the county were unhappy at the decision. The were unhappy that children in the region would have to travel beyond the county for better educational options. Their ire was aroused primarily because the poor economic condition of the schools was never publicized. The closure served as the first notice of trouble in the system.
The state of Alabama permits county commissions to approve an increase in tax as long as it is being utilized for the school system. Increasing the tax for any other reason requires approval from higher authorities. Many persons are raising a pertinent question as to why this option was not exercised to prevent the center from closing down.
While universal support for increase in tax is absent, most individuals are prepared to face yet another financial burden as long as it helps children of the county enjoy better educational and employment chances. In public meetings, students who passed out of the technology centers described how it helped poor students enjoy an education that was beyond their reach due to their poor financial condition. It remains to be seen whether the county officials will bow to public demand.
