Mountain Brook, Vestavia PTO to host legislative forum

Legislators will gather at Vestavia Hills City Hall to discuss education in the Vestavia Hills and Mountain Brook school systems on Nov. 17 from 8:30-11 a.m.

“This is the 12 annual,” said Katherine Taylor of the Vestavia Hills PTO Council. “We have paired up with Mountain Brook’s PTO — their legislative representative and Vestavia’s PTO have paired up — to hold this forum.”

Taylor is the legislative representative of the Vestavia Hills PTO Council, which oversees the PTOs of each of the city’s schools.

“The state senators and state legislators from the Mountain Brook and Vestavia Hills area come to this forum,” Taylor said, “and we’re so thankful that they do.”

The legislators meet with school representatives from both cities to discuss issues presented over the course of the previous year.

This year’s speakers will include senators Slade Blackwell and Jabo Waggoner, as well as representatives Jim Carns, David Faulkner and Jack Williams.

Last year’s discussion included such topics as the general fund, the education trust fund, and even home-school athletics. 

“They’re dependent upon what’s going on at that time [in Montgomery],” Taylor said of the legislation covered in the meetings.

The forum expects a wide variety of attendance.

“Anyone can attend,” Taylor said. The invitation also extends to surrounding schools, outside the Vestavia Hills and Mountain Brook school systems.

The meeting will conclude promptly at 11 a.m.