Residents petition for de-annexation from Pelham surrounding discussion of new school system

The City of Pelham appears to be on the fast track to break away from Shelby County Schools and create its own system. And for 416 homes near Chelsea – and 221 students in Chelsea schools – the decision could create a host of particularly personal problems.

“I’ve never been against Pelham, but my kids go to Chelsea schools,” said Lee Jordan, a WindStone resident. “It’s great that they want to do what’s best for their community, but they have to understand I’m not in their community.”

Jordan’s home in WindStone is one of many in a section southeast of Oak Mountain State Park that falls within Pelham municipality lines. But his house is so close to Chelsea High School, he can hear the marching band’s halftime show note-for-note on Fridays in the fall, he said.

If Pelham creates it’s own school system, Jordan and his neighbors in WindStone might be required to move their children from Chelsea schools. Jordan has two daughters, Mandy and Abby, in Forest Oaks Elementary and a son, Spencer, at Chelsea Middle School. Their home in WindStone is more than 14 miles from Pelham High School – a longer distance than PHS is from The Summit.

“I don’t want to fight,” he said. “But they aren’t messing with just me anymore. They’re messing with my kids.”

So, led by Jordan, WindStone was the first to hand over a petition to the Pelham City Council to request the neighborhood be de-annexed. Delivered earlier this month, it presents a template for what may follow from other subdivisions that would be affected by the decision, including Bent Creek, Courtyard Manor, Deer Ridge and Oaklyn Hills.

The Pelham Council has taken no official position on the petition, but Council President Rick Hayes said if de-annexation were to occur the loss of annual tax revenue from all 416 homes would equal more than $300,000.

“The issue is a catch 22, and it’s very simple,” Hayes said “A lot of people moved into houses in that area, and they told us point blank in one meeting after another, ‘We didn’t know we were in Pelham.’ We’ve heard it from at least 15 people in the last two meetings.”

WindStone is the best example of how exact municipal boundaries in the area could be confusing. It’s impossible to drive to Jordan’s house in Pelham without traveling through Chelsea, as approximately 20 lots near the entrance to the subdivision fall within Chelsea city limits.

Hayes said the decision of where children attend school in the future would ultimately be left to the Shelby County Board of Education, but Pelham Mayor Gary Waters – who strongly opposes the creation of a Pelham school system – said he hopes everyone in the area who wishes to stay in Chelsea has the opportunity.

“My heart breaks for them that I’m a non-voting member of council,” Waters said. “These people go home at night and all their options are bad. Stay and send your kids to Pelham schools or de-annex and risk losing municipal services. It’s like playing Russian roulette with two bullets in the gun.”

On July 15, the Pelham Council held a public hearing to discuss raising sales tax in the city by 1 percent. Waters said the funding would be earmarked for education whether it supports a new system or helps fund current schools. But he made no indication that any decision on taxes would affect the Council’s decision to break away from Shelby Schools.

“Unless God intervenes, it’s going to happen,” Waters said. “This thing was foregone conclusion before we had this conversation.”

If Water prediction is correct, it means Jordan and his neighbors have few options besides a “wait and see” approach. Wait for the decision, and see if their voices are heard.

Tell us what you think. Should residents of WindStone and surrounding subdivisions be allowed to de-annex from Pelham? How will the creation of a Pelham school system affect you? Comment here, or email jeff@280living.com.