Just What Are Resident Requirements for Muscle Shoals Schools?

Sometimes residency isn't easily peg holed. There's a local joke that asks, "Just where does Petersville end and Underwood begin?" Sorry we can't answer that question for you, but we can definitely say that Petersville starts where Florence ends at Mama Jean's restaurant. So how about other cities?

We once knew a person who lived within the Leighton police jurisdiction, had a Sheffield Zip Code, and received utilities from Muscle Shoals. The Florence and North Florence post offices have two different Zips and much mail addressed to 35630 is labeled "North Florence, Alabama."

If you think it's hard to know where you actually live, how about where you go to school? There's been a lot of talk recently about resident and non-resident students in the Muscle Shoals system. In case anyone needs to be told, we support fees for non-residents--if you don't pay property tax of some sort in Muscle Shoals, why should your children attend its schools gratis?

The problem with the Muscle Shoals system seems to be that not all are treated equally and that school admins don't agree on what policy actually is, particularly in relation to grandfathering in students after their policy change a few years ago. A reader writes us:

Dennis Connor told me they had not had any students that were "grandfathered in", Brian Lindsey told me they did have students that were nonresident students that were "grandfathered in" so I guess it holds true if you don't have money in your pocket or if your father or mother or someone is not a big-time political person or can line the pockets of the ones who run the show, then you get thrown under the bus like my daughter. I guess my question is was my daughter's rights violated because they chose 2 years later to notify me of the board policy change? In my opinion it was unfair they should've given me time to find a place in the jurisdiction. 

So who's correct? Brian Lindsey or Dennis Connor? The student referenced above has suffered because of nebulous policy; we'll undoubtedly have more on this later.

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Several changes have already taken place in both the Lauderdale and Colbert County sheriff's offices. Most are reported to be liking these changes, but there has been some unrest--mainly in Colbert County. There are several situations in that county which are currently unresolved. We'll be reporting on these situations after they're finalized.

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Somehow when we think of (certain) Colbert County and Muscle Shoals school officials, this song comes to mind:

Shoalanda