Baldwin County Schools, the third-largest school system in Alabama, educates around 32,000 students everyday and is growing by leaps and bounds, like the rest of the county. Still, the school system manages to be one of the highest-performing county school systems in the state, officials say.

The school system has worked to keep up with the county’s growth through their “Pay As You Go” program, which has led to over $300 million in new construction since 2015. The system is currently in the process of building the Baldwin Preparatory Academy, a vocational training school outside of Loxley.

Still, growth in the county comes with challenges. Here, Baldwin County School Superintendent Eddie Tyler and Chief School Finance Officer John Wilson discuss those challenges, goals for the new school year and navigating ongoing challenges to books and libraries.

Questions and answers have been condensed and edited for clarity.

What are some of the issues you see facing Baldwin County students right now?