RESTORING THE PAST, BUILDING THE FUTURE
Top row: Amir Calderon-Acevedo, Gwendolyn King and Preston Inge Burks. Above: Ashtyn Vaughan, Frankie Brown and Tully Peters.
History in the Making!
Barton to Open in August!
Final preparations are being made for the grand reopening of The Barton Academy for Advanced World Studies. The interior renovations are progressing rapidly with final amenities and furnishings being installed over the summer. Ben M. Radcliff Contractor, Inc. and their subcontractors have done a great job of moving the project along on schedule despite a few unexpected surprises. Those few who have had an opportunity to walk through the building have reported being overwhelmed by the beauty of the reconstruction. The high ceilings and period correct windows provide a bright and welcoming environment.
Staffing recommendations have been made for the upcoming year and will be announced in the near future. The first day for faculty will be August 5, and school will open on August 11. A final student application period remains open through June 4th. Parents and students can learn more at bartonexplorers.com. If you missed the magnet application deadlines and are interested in your child’s attending Barton, contact Barton Principal Dr. Amanda Jones at acjones@mcpss.com.
Dr. Jones reports that the sixth grade is full and has a waiting list for the 2021-2022 year and that the 7th through 9th grades, while not at capacity, have the expected number of students. “We are excited to make history as we reopen Alabama’s first public school in August!” Dr. Jones stated.
Foundation Receives Award for Fundraising
On May 11, the Barton Academy Foundation received a Learning Leading Award from Mobile County Public Schools in recognition of its work in raising $14 million to renovate the interior of the building and help create the Barton Academy for Advanced World Studies. The Learning Leading Awards recognize Mobile County Public Schools’ top
students, teachers and business and community partners.
PHOTO: Barton Academy Foundation
Vice President Schley Rutherford is shown accepting the award from Dr. Amanda Jones.
Left to right, Dr. Amanda Jones, Dan Sigler, artist Susan I. C. Howell, Judy Sigler
Family Donations to Barton Academy
Dr. Amanda Jones, Barton’s principal, was honored to accept a generous donation of a beautiful oil painting of Barton Academy by artist Susan I. C. Howell. Dan Sigler and his wife Judy donated the painting which was originally commissioned in 2010. Ruth Sigler, Dan’s mother and Susan’s aunt, attended Barton along with Ruth’s sisters. Dan’s father and grandmother also attended Barton Academy. The Sigler family’s painting will be displayed in the history gallery in the newly renovated Barton Academy along with other memorabilia donated by alumni and their families.
The Kearley family (Carmen Kearley Miller, Theodore Kearley, and
Douglas B. Kearley) donated a family piano to the school in December.
This type of community support and involvement is evidence of the great education in store for Barton Explorers.
It’s not too late
to DONATE!
Want your family’s or company’s name permanently noted on Barton’s historic fence wall? Donors of $10,000 will each have their name engraved on a bronze plaque which will be affixed to a section of the fence wall, and all donors of $1,000 or more will have their names included on the Donor Wall in the lobby at Barton. There is also one classroom space available for a donation of $25,000. The deadline for being included on the Donor Wall is June 15, 2021. Donations of up to $10,000 may be made by credit card here.
HURRY! Deadline to contribute
and be included on the
Donor Wall is June 15, 2021.
Find a list of all donors here.
Donors of $1,000 or more will be listed on a permanent donor board at Barton Academy. Please consider increasing your gift to $1,000. For information about your current total at info@bartonacademy.org.
Grand Opening Plans
Mobile County Public Schools will hold a Dedication and Open House on a weekend in the fall. The public will be welcome to attend this event and tour the newest,
old building in Mobile! For final plans, please monitor Barton Academy’s facebook page, @BartonAcademyExplorers,
and local news organizations.
Donors of $1,000 and above
will be invited to a luncheon hosted by the Barton Academy Foundation in the Hearin-Chandler Commons and a self-guided tour of Barton Academy. This event will be held
in early August.
Thank You, Subcontractors
The Barton Academy Foundation would like to recognize the subcontractors who have worked so diligently to make the new Barton Academy a state-of-the-art school for Mobile County. These include:
Stewart Iron Works
Thomas Roofing, Inc.
Brabner & Hollon, Inc.
Balius Surfaces, Inc.
Quality Acoustics & Drywall, Inc.
Willard Rogers Painting Contractors, Inc.
Triple A Fire Protections, Inc.
Premier Plumbing & Piping, Inc.
James B. Donaghey, Inc.
Walters Controls, Inc.
Bagby & Russell Electric Company, Inc.
Mobile Fixture & Equipment, Inc.
Phoenix Restoration Services, Inc.
Architectural services are provided by
Holmes & Holmes, now a division of
Clark, Geer, Latham
& Associates, Inc.
Engineering services are provided by
Clark, Geer, Latham & Associates
Environmental Assessments by
Southern Earth Sciences, Inc.
Surveying by Byrd Surveying, Inc.
Download a pdf copy of our newsletter here.