Fairfield City Schools

Fairfield City Schools is a public school system administered by the Fairfield Board of Education to serve the City of Fairfield. Its offices are located at 6405 Avenue D Fairfield.

In August 1965, following a suit brought by a group of Black families represented by Demetrius Newton, District Court Judge H. H. Grooms ordered the system to submit a desegregation plan to his court. Board attorney Maurice Bishop said that the plan would be substantially similar to those already approved for Jefferson County, Birmingham and Bessemer.

In 1988 then-Mayor of Fairfield Larry Langford used newly-granted authority to push through a 1% sales tax increase to bail out the system's debts.

In 2013 the system embarked on a 5-year capital improvement plan funded with the city's share of a 1% sales tax that Langford, then Jefferson County Commission president, had passed in 2005. Projects included a $10.7 million addition to Fairfield Preparatory High School and $2 million in renovations to C. J. Donald Elemenrary School and Glen Oaks Elementary School. Robinson Elementary School was slated for repairs to its outside canopies, and the system purchased 8 new school busses, and 240 Apple iPads for teachers, along with Wi-Fi networks in each school.

The present configuration of the city schools by grade level was adopted in 2022. In September 2023 the school district was awarded a 5-year $15 million grant to operate Head Start and Early Head Start programs in Fairfield, Bessemer, Birmingham, Brighton and Midfield.

In 2023 the Alabama Department of Examiners of Public Accounts completed an audit of the system and identified six "major issues" with the board's oversight of employee certifications.

Superintendents

• B. B. Baker, 1939
• Yvette Richardson
• Anthony Greene, 2007–2010
  • Frieda Bush (acting), 2010–
• Walter Gonsoulin Jr, 2013–2017
• Regina Thompson, 2018–

Schools

• Robinson Primary School (K-2)
• Glen Oaks Intermediate School (3-5)
• C. J. Donald Middle School (6-8)
• Fairfield High Preparatory School (9-12)
• Forest Hills Community Development Center (formerly Forest Hills Middle School)

References

• Chambers, Jesse (July 23, 2013) "Fairfield schools begin 5-year plan, including building improvements, better technology." The Birmingham News
• Chambers, Jesse (July 15, 2013) "Fairfield City Schools break ground on $13 million in renovations, additions." The Birmingham News
• Wyatt, Jeff & Valerie Bell (May 3, 2022) "Fairfield schools to be reconfigured." ABC3340.com
• Thrailkill, Laurel (September 25, 2023) "Fairfield City School District receives $15M grant for program." Birmingham Business Journal
• Hood, Kiera (November 17, 2023) "Crisis in The Classroom: Audit finds noncompliance at Fairfield Board of Education." ABC3340.com

External link

• Fairfield City Schools website