Superintendent Notices

Dear Baldwin County Families,
 

As summer gets underway, I hope you're enjoying time with your children and creating memories that will last well beyond these warm-weather months. While you enjoy the break, our team is already preparing for the upcoming school year—with student safety at the forefront of everything we do.
 

As part of those efforts, I want to make you aware of several updates that will go into effect during the 2025–2026 school year related to our athletic events. These changes have been in development for quite some time and are not in response to any one incident. They are proactive steps toward ensuring a safer, more secure environment for everyone in our school communities.
 

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New this fall at Baldwin County high school athletic events:
 

• Walk-through metal detectors at football and basketball games
All high school stadiums and gyms will be equipped with walk-through metal detectors. Attendees must pass through a screening checkpoint before entering. These detectors will be staffed and monitored by our local law enforcement partners.

• Clear bag policy
All bags must be clear and no larger than 12 inches by 12 inches by 6 inches. Backpacks are not permitted. Please note: all bags are subject to search.

• No re-entry or late entry
Re-entry will not be permitted once you exit the event. Entry will also close after the start of the third quarter or third period.
 

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A reminder of existing event policies:
 

• No weapons or dangerous items of any kind (including firearms, knives, pepper spray, etc.)
• No alcohol, tobacco, vaping devices or outside food or drink
• No loitering in parking lots or inside stadium gates
• Any item(s) that the screening officer perceives could be used as a weapon or an unlawful disruption to the event will result in non-admittance past the safety screening checkpoint.
 

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These updates are one part of a broader effort to enhance safety and ensure that every person attending our events feels secure. Our job is to look ahead, identify potential concerns, and act before they become problems. That is what we’re doing here.
 

In the coming weeks, I’ll also be sending another message regarding a new cell phone policy that was recently passed by the Alabama Legislature. This law will go into effect for all schools during the 2025–2026 school year. You’ll receive additional information on that very soon.
 

For now, we simply want to give you time to prepare for these upcoming changes. You’ll receive reminders throughout the summer.

Thank you for your continued support and for trusting us with your children. We look forward to welcoming everyone back in August—ready for a great school year and another exciting season under the Friday night lights.
 

Eddie Tyler,

Superintendent

#BaldwinProud #CommunityStrong

Parents,

I know many of you are soaking up every bit of the sizzling summer heat, but I promised to keep you informed and help you prepare for the upcoming school year—so here I am. This message outlines what will likely be the biggest change for the 2025–2026 school year.

A few weeks ago, I shared information about new security enhancements taking effect in August. You may remember that earlier this year, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed into law the FOCUS Act, which mandates a ban on student cell phone use in public schools during the instructional day. Students may still bring their devices to school, but phones must be turned off and stored away during all school hours. The Board recently approved a policy outlining the implementation of this new law. You can find more information regarding the new policy and procedures in the Board policy manual as well as the 2025-26 Parent and Student Handbook/Student Code of Conduct- located online, https://www.bcbe.org/departments/handbook-parent-student.

For our middle and high school students, each student will be issued a Yondr pouch. When middle and high school students arrive on campus, if their phone is not locked in their vehicle, students will place their phones on silent or off and in the pouch, which will then be locked magnetically, placed in their backpacks, and should remain that way until students leave for the day. Students will keep the pouch with them but will not have the ability to unlock it. The pouch should only be unlocked when the student leaves campus for the day, however, each principal will be providing additional details regarding emergency situations and the exceptions that are outlined in the law and Board policy. Students riding the bus will need to review the bus transportation rules and procedures outlined in the Student Code of Conduct as students should not be accessing their phones while on the bus either.  

For elementary students who bring phones to school, devices will need to be on silent or off and stored in a locked box and/or in a designated area or space, as determined by your child's elementary campus principal.  

Please be aware that the Legislature has outlined very limited exceptions regarding the use and storage of student cell phones. Those exceptions are outlined in the new Board policy. 

For those of you who are concerned about this new law and its impact on students and the classroom, I wanted to let you know that one of our middle schools piloted the Yondr pouch last year, and administrators were very pleased with the results. Students really adapted well after a couple of weeks!  Additionally, two of our high schools used a lock-box-based system and reported similarly positive outcomes. In fact, one principal has been asked to present the success of his program several times across the state!

We understand this is a big change—and change can be a little uncomfortable at first. It will take time for all of us to adjust. However, we must comply with state law, and this is the system we’ve chosen to do that.

Your school principal will be sharing more details regarding their local procedures and expectations as we get closer to the first day of school, and I’m sure you’ll receive plenty of reminders. In the meantime, please take a moment to talk with your student and help them prepare. I even heard of one parent who was limiting their child's device time over the summer in preparation for the school year. I must admit, even I hope to limit my device time, get outside, and truly pause more to take in the world with the people who matter. I do know this, regardless of the challenges and angst that may come with having to lock up the devices, our administrators and educators will be here to help your students and you!

As I mentioned, the schools that tested these programs saw great success—especially in student classroom and social engagement and peer interaction. We hope to see that same positive impact across all our campuses!

The weeks will fly by, so please enjoy this time with your family. Before long, we’ll be back to the books, and we can’t wait to see the smiling faces of our students once again.

Thank you for your time. 

Eddie Tyler,

Superintendent

#BaldwinProud #CommunityStrong

Parents,
We haven't seen one in a while, but I guess we couldn't get to the end of the school year
without one popping up. We are coming to you today about a social media trend happening nationwide, including here in Baldwin County.

It's a TikTok trend where foreign objects, such as paperclips and pushpins, are inserted into
Chromebooks. The goal is to force an electrical short circuit. In some cases, it has caused the laptop to catch fire. Fortunately, we have not had that happen in our district, but that is why we are writing you, in hopes we can all avoid a dangerous situation.

We also want you to know participating in this trend can be costly. If this happens, a $300
replacement fee will be issued for your student's device. Please help us spread the word and talk to your student. Knowing how dangerous this could be will hopefully deter anyone from trying it. I appreciate you and your time.

Eddie Tyler,
Superintendent
#BaldwinProud #CommunityStrong

Parents,

I hope this email finds you well. We are about a month away from graduation, and the end of school is just around the corner. I would say that this year has gone by too fast, but this weather has me yearning for some outside time, and I think a break has come at just the right time. I don't know about you, but this has been among the most stressful years I've ever seen in education. From politics to expectations, the stress levels seem to be getting higher. With that, let's dive right into a troubling matter I feel you need to know about.

I'm sure you've read about Senator Chris Elliott's legislation seeking to remove millions of dollars in annual funding from our school system. To say this has gone too far is an understatement. A fight over your school taxes has led the senator to block legislation to expand the Baldwin County Courthouse and even discuss options to split Baldwin County into two counties!

I want to lay out the facts here. The beach cities chose to leave the Baldwin County Public School System of their own free will. No one forced them to leave or accept a deal, and they had every opportunity to refuse.

When they did leave, they knew full well what tax money was theirs and how much they would get. While they argue that they are not getting countywide education money, they are. In fact, they are receiving more than $32 million a year in countywide taxes earmarked for education. It is true that they do not share in a general sales tax, but that is because this tax is earmarked for our school system, the Baldwin County Commission, and the District Attorney. More importantly, Gulf Shores knew all of this at the time of their separation, but in an effort to complete the separation, we agreed to revisit this tax sometime down the road.

We did just that in 2021. It was on March 19, 2021, at 10 a.m., when I hosted a meeting in Robertsdale at the request of Senator Elliott. We revisited the terms of the 2017 separation to see if there could be a new deal to share this revenue. The meeting was attended by myself and other members from the Baldwin County School System, as well as representatives from Gulf Shores. After this meeting, I presented the information to our board, but they were unable to reach an agreement. I shared that outcome with Gulf Shores and offered to meet again in the future with the hope of finding a better result. Instead of agreeing to come back to the table, Gulf Shores chose to sue Baldwin County Public Schools. Two years later, the Supreme Court ruled in our favor, dismissing the Gulf Shores action.

This week I attended a Senate hearing in Montgomery about this matter. John Wilson, our Chief Financial Officer, made an excellent presentation laying out all the facts about the separation—how much money the beach cities get and how this specific money is dedicated solely to our school system for capital improvements. At the end of the meeting, I heard a roomful of senators on the committee vote “NO” on the bill, but the committee chairman, Senator Elliott, ruled that the bill passed and received a favorable vote by the committee anyway. AL.com wrote an article this week about that hearing, explaining that no chairman had so clearly run over the majority in at least six years.

Senator Elliott has claimed that this tax is old and outdated, but it seems he has forgotten that this bill was amended and reauthorized in 2017—the same year Gulf Shores chose to separate. In fact, a delegation from Gulf Shores tried to get the tax changed to include them then, and the legislature refused to change the allocation—leaving the funds specifically earmarked to the Baldwin County Board of Education. As an interesting note, this tax was sponsored by the legislative representative of Orange Beach and Gulf Shores, Rep. Steve McMillan, and it was adopted unanimously in favor of the Baldwin County Board of Education.

Senator Elliott represents 100,000 voters across the Eastern Shore, South, and Central Baldwin, where his efforts to take away millions in funding would be especially harmful. I am saddened by his disregard for your children and our growing school system—the tens of thousands of students in his district—as he focuses his efforts ONLY on those children at the beach.

Everyone throws around the word "fair." I think "fair" means knowing that the beach communities knew exactly what their deal was when they made it. I also think "fair" means demanding a revenue replacement if Senator Elliott is going to take money away from your children that they are otherwise entitled to under the law.

Folks, I'd be worried—except that most of the Baldwin County Legislative Delegation has our back! These great folks have stood against Senator Elliott, refuting all the false information and hate he has been spreading. I want to thank those legislators by name and ask you to thank them if you see them: Senators Greg Albritton and Vivian Figures; Representatives Alan Baker, Brett Easterbrook, Jennifer Fidler, Donna Givens, Matt Simpson, and Shane Stringer. We should also be honored that our County Commissioners, mayors, and other elected officials across Baldwin County have written and spoken against his tactics and efforts. Folks, you should be #BaldwinProud of the support these leaders have shown for your school system.

Senator Elliott has his argument, but we have the facts—some of which I have shared here. In the end, the board has taken the position that, as financial stewards of the funds allocated to this school system for a specific purpose, they will not relinquish this money. I support that decision. I promise you that we will fight to protect this funding that the legislature earmarked for your children and the betterment of Baldwin County. We will continue to take the high road and maintain our position, regardless of the threats and accusations Senator Elliott continues to make against what I continue to believe is one of the best school systems in the state of Alabama, if not the country.

Moving on to the good things about this year!

This last quarter has been full of ACAP and ACT testing across Baldwin County. I have heard good reports about attendance and preparation. Thank you for making sure your kids were fed, rested, and ready! I want to brag on a few of our local schools, like Elberta Middle School and Central Baldwin Middle School. Central Baldwin was recently recognized as a Model Professional Learning Community at Work. This honor is awarded to schools and districts that demonstrate strong commitment to collaboration, student learning, and result-driven improvement. Elberta Middle was named by the same group and given Model School Status. There are only nine schools in the state that have earned this recognition—and only three middle schools. We had four students earn a perfect “36” on their ACT! Congrats to Baldwin County Virtual School and Spanish Fort High for those honors!

We had three new schools added to the list of our already existing schools named 2025 Purple Star Schools. Florence B. Mathis, Spanish Fort High, and Stonebridge Elementary were all recently honored by the state. Purple Star status is given to schools that demonstrate a strong commitment to supporting military-connected students and their families.

Robertsdale High School’s NJROTC team competed in the NJROTC National Championship in Anniston and finished ranked 4th in the country!

In robotics news, Baldwin County High School’s robotics team placed 5th in the state at the Alabama Robotics Competition in Tuscaloosa. The team is new and growing at BCHS!

Baldwin Prep’s construction program placed 2^nd in the National Association of Home Builders construction management competition! This in the school’s first year!

I also want to call out a few of our schools that stood out in athletics and the arts during this past winter season. Fairhope men’s and Daphne women’s basketball teams both made it to the Final Four of the state championship. A softball player at Baldwin County High reached 1,000 strikeouts — 1,000! A female wrestler from Daphne High was named on the All-American team at the National Competition! The team ranked in the top two teams in the state for the fifth year in a row. Academics are our focus, but strong athletic and extracurricular teams help keep our kids energized and excited about being part of their school!

There has been much discussion about the changes being proposed by President Trump and even our local Congressman, Barry Moore. I appreciate Congressman Moore's visits to our schools and his willingness to listen to our concerns. If you have thoughts about what is going on, please reach out to his staff. I know they would appreciate hearing from you.

As your kids prepare for Spring Break, please be cautious of the dangers on our beaches and remember to pay attention to the flag system. Also, parents, PLEASE talk to your older, driving kids about drinking and driving and safety during these breaks. Every year, I worry that one of you will get that heartbreaking visit after a fatal accident, like I received about my own child. An ounce of prevention might not keep it from happening, but don't let that opportunity pass you by.

I'll have more news about this year's progress as we approach graduation next month, which looks to be one of—if not the—largest graduating classes in Baldwin County history. Keeping up with all this growth and progressing forward would not have been possible without your support.

Thank you for that support, and thank you for trusting us with your children.

Eddie Tyler
Superintendent
#BaldwinProud #CommunityStrong

 

Parents,

I hope you have had the chance to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime snowfall. I had nearly 10 inches of snow, which is still there this morning! The pictures shared by others, from kids to grandparents, have been exciting. I will admit this is the first real snow I've ever been in, and yes, I made a few snow angels and snowballs with my wife yesterday.

Beyond that, I'm afraid I don't have good news for you today:

Baldwin County Public Schools will be closed for the remainder of the week. We will open for school on Monday, January 27th, with our regular schedule.

The snow has stopped but the freezing temperatures will remain overnight and into Thursday. They expect tomorrow afternoon we will see a heavy thaw, and that is where the trouble comes in. We have more than two million square feet of school space in Baldwin County, and we have no idea what condition those buildings will be in when everything thaws out. 

The snow has been beautiful and fun, but there could be a lot of problems hiding under all this snow and ice. Any busted pipes are still frozen, but when they thaw, we could have water everywhere (I am certain we will have some busted pipes). Because most Baldwin County roads will remain closed today, I can't send personnel to inspect heating systems and food storage units. So, I'm in the blind as to what's working and what's not.

My choices are limited. I could cancel Thursday and evaluate Friday, but the earliest I can send people out is tomorrow afternoon, and that's the best-case scenario. With that, I run the risk that we have significant problems we cannot address overnight, and then I'm canceling Friday at the last minute, which puts you in a bind.

I believe with this plan we will have Friday to evaluate all our buildings. Then we will have the weekend to fix pipes, make repairs, safety check all 400 of our buses, toss any spoiled food, and receive new food orders (which are a week behind). With this plan, I am certain we will be ready for 36,000 people on Monday morning.

Now look, I know an unexpected week with children in the house will wear thin soon. I also know all of you need to go to work and to do that, you need your children in school. The safety of our employees, our children, and you are always my first and last thoughts. Because of that, I hope you understand my decision here.

I know some of you were hoping we'd be back in school tomorrow. I know I was - I like my routines, but when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. In other words, try to enjoy what is in front of you. So, make a plan for the rest of your week. Hug and hang out with your kids. Take some pictures, drink some hot chocolate, reach out to family and friends for help watching your kids and I promise I will have everything ready for Monday morning.

Respectfully,

Eddie Tyler, Superintendent

Parents,

I know that a change in school schedules can be very difficult on families, so I try hard to let you know as early as possible about any changes. As a result of continuing weather reports, Baldwin County Public Schools will be CLOSED MONDAY, TUESDAY and WEDNESDAY of this week. I hope this early notice will help you make the plans necessary. 

Schools are already closed on Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Jr.Day. Weather reports are clear that we will have winter precipitation on Tuesday possibly continuing overnight with temperatures in the teens. I've already mentioned how dangerous any icy roads or bridges can be in southernAlabama. This weather will definitely create hazardous driving conditions for our buses, and it could impact our heating systems. As a result of these considerations, and in consultation with other school systems and local leaders, we are making the decision now to close for all three days.

While I know this will create an inconvenience to some, it is the best decision for the safety of our students. As I hit send on this, it is possible that the weather might change but we are going to stick with this decision. In an effort to give parents the most amount of time to make arrangements, I am going to lock in with this and we will see you back on Thursday on our regular school schedule.

Parents, every kid in south Alabama gets excited about snow. Find a sled or a baking sheet and let them have some fun. I hope and pray that everyone stays safe, stays warm, and has an opportunity to enjoy the unique weather.

Eddie Tyler, Superintendent

#BaldwinProud #CommunityStrong

Good afternoon parents, 

While we’ve seen our fair share of cold this week, some forecasts show even colder weather for next week. Predicting winter weather in the South can be challenging for even the best meteorologists but we are watching the forecast closely.

For your family’s planning purposes, know that IF there is snow or freezing rain predicted overnight any day next week, then it is likely we will close schools. Icy roads and bridges in the early morning hours are very dangerous to our bus operations. I'm not making any decisions today, but I want you to know my thinking as I always put safety first, even if I might be too cautious.

I know our kids would love to have a snow day but there is the possibility this system will leave us with just some cold air. If we close schools though, we will be in good company as northern Alabama has already been dealing with school closures from snow.

Remember, students are out of school this Monday, January 20th, in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. I will be back in touch with you about any weather impacts on Monday or sooner if necessary. Please pay attention to your email, text and social media. Also, remember not to rely on rumors. If we close, you will hear directly from me through our standard channels. 

Have a great rest of your week and weekend! 

Eddie Tyler, 

Superintendent 

#BaldwinProud #CommunityStrong

POWERSCHOOL CYBERSECURITY INCIDENT: INITIAL PUBLIC NOTICE FROM BALDWIN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM

Good afternoon,

I am reaching out today about a recent cybersecurity incident involving PowerSchool, the Alabama State Department of Education’s mandated education software provider that supports all Alabama public school systems' student information systems. On January 7, 2025, PowerSchool notified state and district officials that unauthorized access had been detected in certain customer information through its PowerSource portal. Since receiving that notice, our Educational Technology Department has been working diligently to gather information about the event and below is what we are aware of to date.

It was reported to us PowerSchool first identified the breach on December 28, 2024. It is our understanding this was a direct, international attack on PowerSchool and not a cyberattack specifically targeting the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) or any individual Alabama school system. Unfortunately, however, PowerSchool has notified the Baldwin County Public School System that we were an entity whose information was retrieved in the attack.

While it is our understanding the affected data did not include student and/or employee social security numbers or other sensitive personally identifying information under Alabama law, the retrieved data did include students’ and employees’ information, such as names, addresses, phone numbers, birthdates, lunch codes and email addresses. In addition, this breach does extend to students who have received services from, are currently enrolled, or were previously enrolled in the Baldwin County Public School System, as well as those who have graduated. Again, and most importantly, the ALSDE has indicated that sensitive personally identifying information, such as social security numbers, was not involved in this incident.

Next, PowerSchool has assured us the breach was and is contained, that the compromised credentials have been deactivated and that enhanced security measures have been implemented. In addition, no operational disruptions occurred to PowerSchool as a result of this breach. It is our understanding PowerSchool will be offering credit monitoring and identity protection services to certain individuals whose sensitive data was impacted. We will provide those details in subsequent communications once received from PowerSchool and/or the ALSDE.  

Finally, PowerSchool has indicated it expects to provide customers with a finalized forensic report on January 17, 2025.  PowerSchool has also communicated it will be providing its customers with more details and communications in the upcoming days. We appreciate the community’s understanding and please know the Baldwin County Public School System is in contact with the ALSDE and PowerSchool, and we will continue to provide updates as new information becomes available to us. 

Thank you for your time.

Eddie Tyler,

Superintendent

#BaldwinProud #CommunityStrong

Parents, 

Even though this is my 49th year in public education, I still get excited when Christmas break arrives. YES, CHRISTMAS IS HERE, and in just a couple of weeks, we will put 2024 into the history books!

With last week's cold temperatures, I thought we might get a white Christmas, but with our typical roller coaster temperatures back up this week, I don't know what we have in store. I know how excited the little ones get when we have even a dusting of sleet. Being in schools over this last week, I don't know how much more excited they can be. The singing of songs and holiday artwork in our elementary halls is contagious! I wish you had the chance to sneak through our elementary schools like I do. Listening to the stories about foolish elves playing pranks at home and wish lists for Santa along with endless laughter is pure magic and joy. Be proud of the world your children are living in!

Each year, I find myself celebrating a great start to the school year. It seems trite to keep saying it, but again, what a great start to this school year! I am grateful we had no tropical weather or contagious illnesses to navigate. We have so many great things to celebrate in our school system; let me share a few with you.

This fall, we opened a new elementary school in Spanish Fort, and Santa has brought the Silverhill community a new elementary school, which will see students in January! The biggest announcement came with the opening of Baldwin Prep - Alabama's first and only comprehensive career tech high school. The building is located on Highway 59, about four miles north of I-10, and it is amazing! 

I am so proud of our leaders at this school and our first generation of students who are setting the standard for new instruction. We have received an overwhelming welcome from industry across South Alabama, with millions of dollars donated to help our kids and create professional partnerships to bring them into the next generation of workforce development. Just this week, we welcomed a charter bus from Mississippi with elected officials and educators here to visit the school, looking to replicate our program in their state. That's right, people from around the region are looking to Baldwin County on how to do things!

The state report card showed improvement across Baldwin County, with more than a dozen schools registering an “A” on the new report card. Our biggest report card movers and shakers include Pine Grove Elementary, Elberta High, Daphne Elementary, Elsanor Elementary, Summerdale Elementary and J. Larry Newton Elementary! Our ACT scores continue to climb with increased enrollment in our ACT Bootcamps, and absenteeism declined again this year (thank you, parents). We saw high schools meet or set new records in both AP and ACT testing. Now, I want to be transparent: we do have a few schools that are struggling, but we saw increases in areas where we are focused on making changes. All in all, I think our system earned our high "B" average, but I expect we will earn that "A" soon.

Folks, regardless of the external factors that impact us, I hope you know how blessed we are to live in Baldwin County! I know I am blessed to be surrounded by what I believe to be the best team of educators in the world. More than four thousand strong, my colleagues in Baldwin County pour themselves into protecting, feeding, transporting and educating your children every day. If you have a moment, lift up a prayer or share a thank-you with our folks who have dedicated their life to your family. 

With that, I am going to wish you a merry Christmas and a very, very happy New Year. May Santa bring your children everything they wish for, peace to you, and good health into 2025 and beyond. 

Eddie Tyler,

Superintendent

#BaldwinProud #CommunityStrong