The Franklin County Board of Education approved a motion Superintendent Greg Hamilton says will mean positive things for Red Bay High School and the county school system in general.

June 11 the board voted to separate the school into an elementary school with grades K-6 and a high school with grades 7-12 as recommended by the Alabama State Department of Education.

As it is, the school has been receiving five and a half instructional support units, which covers a principal, assistant principal, two counselors and two librarians – for a total of six. Hamilton said the system has been paying for the additional half a unit for years now out of local funds. By splitting, the school will receive six units and see an $80,000 net gain for the system.

“No cons can be found in this plan,” said Hamilton.

At the June 11 meeting Hamilton also provided updates on construction projects at Tharptown and Vina. He said the renovated cafeteria at Tharptown should be completed by the start of the new school year and provide four more classrooms. The Vina building project was about 65 percent complete as of June 11, after 31 days of construction. The project was estimated to be completed in 90 days.