$500,000 Earmarked For Foley-Area Schools

The Foley City Council recently voted to increase funds to Foley-area schools from $200,000 to $250,000 for the upcoming year. The Baldwin County Public School System has agreed to match the funding. Last year’s inaugural financial support from the city increased test scores, performance reading, mathematics and other areas, the city said. English as a second language and college entrance testing are among the programs supported. Mayor Ralph Hellmich praised the work done by the committee and area schools, adding, “We want to show the citizens the value of some extra infusion into the school system and what it can mean because the perceptions of our school affects our city, and the better our schools are used, which they’re incredible resources, the better our city is,” Hellmich said. Affected schools include Foley High, Foley Middle, Foley Elementary, Florence B. Mathis Elementary, Magnolia and Swift Consolidated.