ALEXANDRIA, AL — A newly installed safety guardrail at Alexandria Elementary School is now providing an added layer of protection for hundreds of students, following a project that was more than a year in the making.
The guardrail, installed just a few weeks ago, was fully funded through a combination of state support secured by State Representative Randy Wood and private donations from Tobi Burt. School officials say the collaboration ensured the project moved forward without placing any financial burden on the school system.
According to Alexandria Elementary Principal Shannon Finley, the need for the guardrail had been discussed for some time but struggled to gain traction initially.
Finley explained that the project was first brought forward more than a year ago and had been presented to the school board on multiple occasions. The project, while viewed positively, never got funding approval.
That changed after a widely reported incident in Birmingham, where a vehicle crashed through a fence at an elementary school. While no children were injured, the situation heightened concerns locally about the potential for a similar event.
Finley emphasized that student safety is the driving force behind the project.
“The safety of our students, period,” Finley said.
With 765 students enrolled from pre-K through fourth grade, Alexandria Elementary is the largest elementary school in Calhoun County. The school also faces a unique challenge — its playground sits directly adjacent to a county road, making it the only school in the county with that specific exposure.
“The more we have heard about it over the years of all the injuries that have happened, we’re the only school with a playground on a county road,” she said.
Finley noted that distracted driving is the primary concern, particularly with vehicles traveling along the nearby curve. However, additional safety risks also factored into the decision.
She pointed to situations involving custody disputes, where vehicles have been known to pull close to playground areas at other schools. In one such case outside the area, a parent was able to remove a child from school grounds and leave in a vehicle.
“It’s never happened here, but at other schools there have been parents parking… and pulling a child off the playground,” she said, explaining that the guardrail adds a physical barrier that slows or prevents that possibility.
For Tobi Burt, the project was never about recognition, but about preventing a tragedy before it could occur.
“I have been working with the school system for more than two decades. This is not something new for me,” Burt said. “When this concern was brought to me, I started this over a year ago by going directly to the school board. When it didn’t gain traction, I asked myself how we could still make it happen.”
Burt said he initially chose to fund the project anonymously, stressing that the focus should remain on student safety.
“When it comes to the safety of our kids, it should not be about me. It should not be about Randy Wood. It should not be about any individual. It should be about the kids,” Burt said. “The kids should always be first.”
State Representative Randy Wood echoed that urgency while speaking to the Calhoun Journal.
“We don’t want to let it happen to our kids. Plain and simple,” Wood said. “If we wait until something happens, it’s too late.”
Calhoun County Schools Superintendent Tony Willis also emphasized the importance of proactive safety measures.
“We are always glad when our students safety is improved and we are grateful for the work that goes into making things like this happen. Unfortunately crazy things happen, and we read about them often in communities. I am always glad when our community can be proactive rather than responding to a tragedy after the fact. This is one such way our community is thinking ahead,” Willis said.
Calhoun County School Board member Joe Lathers highlighted the broader importance of campus safety across the district.
“Safety at any campus associated with Calhoun County School system is paramount and not taken lightly! The protection of our students, staff and visitors will always remain a high priority in our eyes. A lot of times you see a reactive approach to safety like a community trying to get a red light at a dangerous intersection, or a speed limit reduction and sadly I have seen in the past that it took a fatal accident to get that red light up or speed lowered! The guard rail is a very PROACTIVE approach to the safety of the Alexandria campus! I’d even like to see it painted the school’s colors for that particular community,” Lathers said.
Board of Education Vice President Allen George also spoke to the importance of addressing the concern.
“The issue of how close the roadway is to the playground area was a concern due to the amount of traffic, as well as the speeds that some drivers travel on that roadway. I am glad to see that it has been addressed for the safety of the students,” George said.
Calhoun County Board of Education President Michael Webb expressed appreciation for those who helped bring the project to completion.
“I’m very thankful to Mr. Wood and Mr. Burt for their work on this project. This is something that has been needed for quite some time to help ensure the safety of our students on the playground. I know Mr. Burt has mentioned this need several times over the past year and has been working to find the funding to make it happen. I’m grateful Mr. Wood stepped in to help fund the project and get it completed in a timely manner,” Webb said.
Additional comments from those familiar with the effort noted that Burt has quietly supported local schools for many years, often without seeking recognition, reinforcing that this project was consistent with long-standing community involvement. They also noted that Wood has long been a strong supporter of local school systems throughout Calhoun County and is consistently quick to step in and support needs once he becomes aware of them.
Finley said the completion of the guardrail represents a proactive approach to safety — addressing a potential risk before an incident occurs.
The project, she added, stands as a reminder that collaboration between community members and state leadership can lead to meaningful improvements for local schools.
As Burt emphasized, “You don’t want to wait until something happens… you want to fix it before anything happens.”
