Alabaster, AL – Alabama is getting another school system.
Leaders in the Shelby County city of Alabaster have voted to form their own school system. A 1 cent increase in the city's sales and use tax will fund the system.
Alabaster city schools will begin operating in either 2013 or 2014 - the exact date of the split hasn't been decided.
Shelby County has one of the state's top-ranked school systems, and opponents of the move worry the city will be duplicating administrative costs and other expenses now funded by the county. Supporters say breaking away from the county system will keep city tax revenues in Alabaster.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)