People are still reacting to yesterday's surprise move by the Calhoun County School Board to scrap a three-year-old high school consolidation plan.

The proposal would have put Blountstown and Altha High School students under one roof of a brand new high school facility, but many residents, especially those in Altha, say they're happy the board is deciding to leave things as they are.

"I think it's the best thing they can do."

That's the consensus of many Calhoun County residents toward the school board's decision to abandon the consolidation of Blounstown and Altha High School students.

County school officials say the decision was the result of a breakdown in the consolidation process.

Sue Neves of the Calhoun County School Board said, "We could not decide on the property."

The board narrowed the possible location of the new high school to just three sites, but the traveling distance and student transportation issues made the move less attractive. Now there's a new plan of action which will keep the two schools separate and give one a new location.

"Phase one is to build the new high school on the current Blounstown High School campus," Neves said.

Officials say the Blounstown Middle School building is old and students need to be removed from the facility. Part of the consolidation process would have given them a newer location, but Neves says not to worry because they are still part of the new plan.

"It meets one of our critical needs of removing the students of the current Blounstown middle student facilities to the Blounstown High facilities, so basically it will be two separate schools on the same campus."

Blounstown High School students will be housed in the new building. Blountstown middle school will takeover the old high school, and Neves says there are future upgrades planned at Altha School.

"In phase two we will develop a strategic short-term and long range of what we want to do at Altha School. Do we want to build new classrooms; do we want to apply for special facilities?" Calhoun County resident Stacy Kyrkbride said.

"I would rather the schools stay the same just because it's been like that for ages."

The new plan will also move school board employee into the current Blounstown Middle School location.