In the face of nearly certain closure, the state intervention team breathed new life into Byrd Elementary during Tuesday’s school board work session.

Acting superintendent Larry DiChiara proposed turning Byrd into an early childhood learning center and consolodating all pre-school classes in one location. He said the proposal would mean a transfer for Byrd’s current students and teachers. The proposal would also allow the system to spend its finances more effectively, DiChiara said.

Currently the system is spending $1.4 million in its Title Funds on preschool clases, a suprisingly high amount, according to DiChiara. His proposal would divert a portion of the money away from preschool programs and toward hiring full-time gym teachers and counselors.

Title Funds are doled out based on the number of low incomes students in a system.

The logistics of DiChiara’s proposal still need to be worked out, such as how would Byrd’s new teachers be paid and how much would the Selma City System contribute in its partnership with Head Start.

The school is bleeding students quickly and closure is imminent without a plan. The school was targeted for closure by 2013. Luckily, Byrd avoided closure, but isn’t far from the proposition.

However, by ensuring Byrd stays open, DiChiara would be preserving the oldest operational school in the city’s system. The school is also directly in the middle of Selma’s historic district.

In certain instances, decisions should be made strictly on what makes fiscal sense. But in Byrd’s case, it seems DiChiara’s proposal is multi-faceted — with the largest focus on the quality of education and saving money.

School board member Brenda Randolph-Obamanu seemed to be starkly against the proposal. Though, some of her concerns were legitimate.

We would encourage all board members to try and work in collaboration to make the transition seamless or offer other ideas about a potential Byrd conversion.

It’s easy to point fingers and criticize, but contributing worthwhile ideas to the discussion is more valuable and would be more beneficial to the future of the city’s school system.