By Melanie Patterson

The North Jefferson News



Gardendale High School will host meetings next week to educate not students, but parents.

On Feb. 12, a meeting will be held at 6 p.m. for the parents of incoming freshmen.

“We will welcome parents and explain the scheduling and courses and what they can expect at Gardendale,” said principal Dr. Anna Vacca.

Following that, a general meeting will be held at 7 p.m. for all parents of GHS students.

Both meetings are in the school’s auditorium.

At the general meeting, Vacca will give an update on the school.

The Jefferson County Board of Education accepted a bid on Thursday for the construction of the high school.

Classes are currently being held in portable trailers and in the Roger’s Building, which is the career tech building.

Vacca said she will also talk about the alternating block system, the new scheduling program that the Jefferson County Board of Education voted in December to use next year.

Under the new system, students will take classes for the entire school year rather than for only one semester.

Officials with the Board of Education said a main driving force behind the change was to increase test scores and expose students to critical classes like math for the whole school year.

Vacca will also give an update on an upcoming AP grant.

Jefferson County schools will reportedly receive a multi-million-dollar grant from the National Math and Science Initiative.

A press conference is scheduled at Hueytown High School on Feb. 11 to announce more details about the grant.

Vacca invites all parents of GHS students to attend the general meeting, and for parents of incoming freshmen to attend the 6 p.m. meeting.

“We’ll try to have people available to set up appointments if people have specific questions,” Vacca said.