I know that this has been talked about before, and considering the economics of the times it was inevitable. Nonetheless it is a sad day for both schools.
Like many small towns in rural areas Town Creek (and Courtland) have seen the best and brightest among their young people move away to bigger cities. The downturn in the auto industry, affecting plants in nearby Decatur, has cost a fair number of jobs in that area. Town Creek probably has fewer citizens now than it did when my uncle was principal of Hazlewood in the 50s and 60s.
I can certainly understand why someone would think that the consolidation is a sad thing, but there is a lot of upside to consolidation as well. When I was in middle school and junior high after we finally moved back home (to Alabama) I was living in Tuscaloosa. Most of my family is from Lamar County and many of them went to school at Kennedy. Some of you old timers might remember Kennedy high School. Well, the school burnt down in about 84, so they started working on a new school between Kennedy and Millport which is the current South Lamar High School.
For my cousins that grew up going to Kennedy it was a sad day consolidating into South Lamar. The small schools like that really have a unique atmosphere and closeness about them. So leaving that setting was painful for a lot of kids. Not to mention, Kennedy and Millport were bitter rivals. So you can understand the mixed emotions.
Well, the upside to all of that is that when I moved back home in 87 and started going to school there I was fortunate to go to a school with brand spanking new facilities on every level. Academic as well as sports. South Lamar became one of the dominate 3A sports programs in the state during the late 80's and early-mid 90's. It really was a great school and a great time to go there.
Economics is a bit** though. When I attended South Lamar we were the smallest 3A in the state averaging only about 1000 people K-12. At the time, the unemployment rate in Lamar County was the state's highest at 11%. I would wager now that it's upwards of 30%. South Lamar has gone from being a dominant 3A to a dominant 1A program and the enrollment is closer to 500 students now. There are no jobs, therefore there are no people. Everyone who can has basically packed up and left or elected to send their kids to Lamar County or Fayette County. It's pretty sad to see what has happened to my old high school and community.
At least in the short term, this is a good move for Courtland and Hazelwood. In the 80's especially, they were high school football in the state of Alabama. They've produced an incredible number of college athletes considering the size of the schools. When combined, there may not be a school 1-5A in north Alabama that could beat them if they produce players anything close to what they did when I was in school. In the long term, they'll probably suffer the same fate as schools like South Lamar. The economy is bad everywhere, but it's been especially bad in rural Alabama for years, and probably wont get better any time soon.
