Mobile County Public Schools

Member Schools: Alba Middle, Allentown Elementary, Mary B. Austin Elementary, Baker High, Belsaw-Mt. Vernon, Blount High, Booth Elementary, Brazier Elementary, Breitling Elementary, Bryant High, Bryant Career-Technical Center, Burns Middle, Burroughs Elementary, Calcedeaver ELementary, Calloway-Smith Middle, Castlen Elementary, Causey Middle, Chastang Middle, Citronelle High, Continuous Learning Center, Clark-Shaw, Collier Elementary, Collins-Rhodes Elementary, Council Traditional, Craighead Elementary, Dauphin Island Elementary, Davidson High, Nan Gray Davis Elementary, Dawes Intermediate, Denton Middle, E.R. Dickson Elementary, Dixon Elementary, Dodge Elementary, Dunbar Elementary, Mae Eanes Middle, Eichold-Mertz School of Math and Science, Environmental Studies Center, Augusta Evans Special School, Faulkner Career-Technical Center, Fonde Elementary, Forest Hill Elementary, Gilliard Elementary, Grand Bay Middle, Ella Grant Elementary, Griggs Elementary, George Hall Elementary, Hankins Middle, Haskew Elementary, Hollingers Island Elementary, Holloway Elementary, Florence Howard Elementary, Hutchens Elementary, Indian Springs Elementary, Just 4, LeFlore High, Leinkauf Elementary, Lott Middle, Maryvale Elementary, McDavid-Jones Elementary, Meadowlake Elementary, Mobile County Training, Mary G. Montgomery High, Morningside Elementary, Murphy High, North Mobile K-8, Old Shell Road Magnet, Orchard Elementary, O'Rourke Elementary, Phillips Preparatory, Pillans Middle, B.C. Rain High, Southwest Alabama Regional School for the Deaf and Blind, Robbins Elementary, St. Elmo Elementary, Scarborough Middle, Semmes Elementary, Semmes Middle, Kate Shepard Elementary, Spencer-Westlawn Elementary, Tanner Williams Elementary, Taylor-White Elementary, The Pathway, Theodore High, J.E. Turner Elementary, Vigor High, Booker T. Washington Middle, Whitley ELementary, John Wil Elementary, Williamson High, Wilmer Elementary

Board of Directors: L. Douglas Harwell, Jr., Don Stringfellow, Dr. Reginald A. Crenshaw, Robert E. Battles, Sr.; Dr. William C. Foster

Accreditation and Recognition: AdvancED

District Characteristics: Mobile County was Alabama's first public school system and we remain the largest with 59,000 students in 90 schools. Mobile County is the county's largest employer with 7,500 workers. Our schools are receiving state and national recognition. We have 12 Blue Ribbon Schools, which is the highest honor given to public and private schools by the U.S. Department of Education. Since Alabama began recognizing Torchbearer schools, we have blown the rest of the state away by having more of these high-performing, high-poverty schools than any other school district. In 2014, we had four of Alabama's six Torchbearers.

School Municipalities: Mobile County Public Schools includes schools that are urban, suburban and rural. The district includes schools in the cities of Mobile, Citronelle, Bayou La Batre, Dauphin Island, and Semmes, as well as in the communities of Mount Vernon, Irvington, Grand Bay, and Wilmer.

Other Facilities: Our construction campaigns have pumped hundreds of millions of dollars into the local economy since 1996. We have built new schools and completed major renovations touching each of our campuses. Recently completed schools include the new Augusta Evans Special School, Taylor-White Elementary, Whitley Elementary and Calcedeaver Elementary. Projects underway include a new Citronelle High; a new Fournier-Chastang K-8, and major renovations at Barton Academy, Murphy High, Phillips Preparatory, Lott Middle, Tanner Williams, Dauphin Island Elementary and other schools.

Athletics: We offer competitive programs in football, boys and girls basketball, volleyball, baseball, softball, track and field, tennis, golf and swimming. In 2014, we two graduates taken in the first round of the NFL Draft.

Curriculum:

We participate in the Alabama College and Career Ready Standards.

Organization Goals: It Starts With Us. In 2013, we launched a campaign emphasizing that while education starts with Mobile County Public Schools, we all have a role to play in the success of our students and community. We want everyone - students, parents, teachers, taxpayers, business and community leaders - to be part of the "Us." We want everyone to identify what that "It" is to them and make it happen. The "It" can be: Academic Excellence, Innovation, Healthy Living, Graduating Ready, and so much more.

Scholastic Perfomance: Several years ago, the community set a goal that Mobile County Public Schools increase our four-year, on-time graduation rate to 80 percent by 2020. We were pleased to reach that goal six years early, by having 82 percent of our students graduate in four years. But we are not stopping there. We have set a goal to graduate 90 percent of our students by 2017.

Academics: We provide our students with choices via the Signature Academies we have introduced in eight of our high schools and will have the remaining four high schools in August. Students can transfer to any Signature Academy they are accepted into, and we will provide bus transportation if needed. The Signature Academies offer relevant, hands-on learning experiences in fields readily available in Mobile County, as well as internships and field trips. Each high school has several smaller academies as well. The existing Signature Academies are: Aviation and Aerospace at B.C. Rain; Manufacturing, Industry and Technology at Citronelle; Health at Blount; Teaching and Learning at Mary G. Montgomery; Coastal Studies at Bryant; International Studies at Murphy; Industry and Engineering at Theodore; and Maritime, Engineering and Entrepreneurship at Williamson. The new Signature Academies will be: Advanced Careers at Baker; Engineering at Davidson; Advanced Technology at Vigor; and Pre-Law, Health and Public Service at LeFlore.

Assets and Achievements: We are providing more opportunities for our students to excel. One out of every four graduates of Mobile County Public Schools receives a college scholarship. In 2014, graduates received a total of $72 million in offers. During 2013-14, our students earned 7,307 professional credentials. That includes Alabama Career Readiness Certificates, OSHA 10-Hour safety cards, National Construction Certification and licenses to be Certified Nursing Assistants. We have expanded the number of Advanced Placement courses offered. In 2014, our students took 2,705 exams and MCPSS had 144 National AP Scholars. We have six magnet schools: Council, Eichold-Mertz and Old Shell Road elementary schools and Clark-Shaw, Dunbar and Phillips Prep middle schools. And we have 12 Blue Ribbon Schools and 44 Schools of Innovation.

Summer Schools: We do offer summer school.

Vision Statement: We envision a Mobile County Public School System where a variety of pathways to academic and career success are available for all students; where adults consistently work in a collaborative school culture to improve student learning; where all educators willingly accept responsibility for the academic success of each student; and where all students become independent life-long learners confident in their ability to succeed in a global society following high school graduation.

Delay/Closing Information: We utilize several forms of communication to alert parents and the public when our schools are closing due to weather. That includes automated telephone calls through School Messenger, mcpss.com, Facebook, Twitter and the local media.

A.P. Classes: All 12 of our high schools offer Advanced Placement courses. To encourage more students to take AP exams, Mobile County Public Schools covers the cost of each exam taken by our students. In 2014, we had 144 students named AP Scholars for having scored a 3, 4, or 5 (high enough to earn college credit) on at least 3 exams. Our AP courses include: English language, English literature, U.S. History, World History, Psychology, U.S. Government, Calculus AB, European History, Biology, Statistics, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Human Geography, Spanish, Music Theory, Macroeconomics, Physics B, Physics C, French, Studio Art/Drawing, Studio Art 2, Art History, Calculus BC, Computer Science, German, Physics C and Studio Art.

Transportation: We have 561 bus routes transporting more than 26,000 students and covering 18,560 miles daily.

Libraries: All of our schools have libraries. Our media specialists are trained to handle school technology needs as well.

After School/Extracurricular Programs: Music, band, choir, art, theater, dance, ROTC, sports, EYE (Engaging Youth in Engineering), robotics, and more.

Media (TV/Radio) Shows: mcpssTV is available 24-hours a day on Comcast (channel 15), AT&T On Demand (channel 99), and via Roku boxes. You can watch our locally produced shows via mcpss.tv or our YouTube channel.

Computer Capabilities:

Teachers use technology daily to enhance student learning in the classroom. All 3,500 of our core classrooms have SMARTboards and Wi-Fi secured to a level acceptable by the U.S. Department of Defense. About 30 of our schools participate in BYOD, or Bring Your Own Device, with more schools signing on. We also have an online school for grades 6-12, Envision Virtual Academy.

Awards and Recognition: We have 12 schools that have received Blue Ribbons from the U.S. Department of Education . They are: Anna Booth Elementary, Calcedeaver Elementary, Council Traditiona, Dodge Elementary, George Hall Elementary, Mary B. Austin Elementary, and Spencer-Westlawn Elementary; Clark-Shaw Magnet and Phillips Preparatory middle schools; and Davidson, Murphy and Vigor high schools. In 2014, we had four Torchbearer Schools: Anna Booth, George Hall, St. Elmo and Wilmer elementary schools. We also had four CLAS Banner Schools in 2014: Council Traditional, Robbins Elementary, B.C. Rain High and Davidson High.

Juvenile/At-Risk Student Programs: We offer Twilight School at all of our high schools for students who are suspended. Our EEOP (Evening Educational Options Program) helps students at-risk of dropping out catch up and graduate. The Continuous Learning Center serves special-education students who have been suspended. We operate The Pathways Alternative School for middle school students and Star Academy, where over-age and under-credited middle schoolers can catch up academically. We have evening programs at several of our middle schools to help students at-risk of dropping out as well.