Residents press board to act on Stevens School; commissioners schedule special meeting and on‑site community session

Multiple residents and community advocates urged Gadsden County commissioners to act on long‑standing plans to renovate and reopen Stevens School as a community facility, vocational training site and storm shelter. Speakers told the commission that funding had been secured earlier and asked the county to move the project toward an opening rather than letting allocated money lapse.

Carolyn Ford (speaker 2) asked what the county planned to do with Stevens School, noting a multi‑year local effort dating to 2017. Margaret Davis (speaker 15) spoke as a Stevens graduate and retired attorney and said preserving the historic building and using it for a safe room and culinary training would benefit the community in emergencies and provide local job training. Commissioners agreed to schedule a special meeting to review the grant timeline and to hold a follow‑up community session at Stevens School so residents could hear a clear plan and ask questions.

Interim County Administrator (speaker 5) and planning/county staff were directed to compile grant documents and timeline details for the special meeting. Commissioners emphasized urgency: one commissioner warned the county could lose a roughly $4 million grant if matching funds or administrative deadlines were missed, and the board committed to reconvening soon to review documents and options. The board also asked staff to include facility‑use agreement proposals on the agenda so community groups can plan events and youth programs if and when the building opens.

Next steps: A special administrative meeting will be held Tuesday to review grant documentation and options; a subsequent community meeting will occur at Stevens School to gather resident input and discuss implementation timelines.