The Selma City Schools System will lose teacher units this fall due to lower enrollment.

The system lost about 200 students last year, which is about the same number the Dallas County system decreased as well.

The dip in Selma will cause the system to 12 units, which will mostly be teachers.

School board member Brenda Obomanu said the system hates to lose any teachers.

“We don’t want to lose any teaching units because when you do that sometimes it makes classrooms overcrowded,” she said. “It’s easier to teach when you have a smaller classroom. We’re just trying to maintain the quality of education here in Selma.”

Superintendent Angela Mangum said most of the cuts will be made up by teachers who retired or moved to other systems.

Mangum said the school system will continue to work to achieve its goals.

“What we plan on doing is focusing on our mission for the Selma City Schools System,” she said.

“That is to ensure that students have a safe and healthy environment to learn in. We’re doing training this year with our teachers. This summer we are training our teachers, principals, support staff, maintenance workers, as well as custodians.

“They’ll be able to enter the school year with a renewed focus on performing at an excellent level and ensuring when they deliver services to children they will be delivering those services with the best interest of students in mind.”

Obomanu has some ideas to address decreased enrollment too. She suggested using public relations professionals to highlight positive things happening within the school system.