High Schools are being affected by LRFP

Are the high schools being addressed in the Pitt County Schools Long Range Facility Plan (LRFP)?
The elimination of the K-8 configuration model is what concerns most people about the LRFP. The model is being destroyed in an effort to solve under enrollment at other schools. And, in the citizen effort to save the K-8 schools, the plans for the high schools have essentially gone unnoticed.
There are high schools, contrary to what some may think, that are being addressed in the plan. Unfortunately, school officials are not volunteering any detailed information. You have to read the LRFP, or what I call the Pitt County Student Assignment/Reassignment Plan, to pick out some of the specifics.
Only two high schools were mentioned in the first phase of the $55 million funding.
The first is D.H. Conley High School which is receiving $6.7 million for general remodeling and renvoation. Note the capacity in the report on Page 70 (See LRFP at http://www.pitt.k12.nc.us/). Conley’s capacity will rise from 1,386 to 1,428 students. The 42-student jump is a three percent increase in capacity.
Farmville Central High School will receive about $4 million for 12 classrooms, an auxiliary gym, two vocational classrooms, and general remodeling and renvoation. Farmville’s capacity will increase from 780 to 1,020 students. The 240-student increase represents nearly a 31 percent rise in capacity.
School officials have said on several occasions they want to “grow” their smaller high schools. Thus, Farmville Central is the first school to see a significant increase in capacity.
The LRFP’s student reassignment component is aligned to the PCS’s project recommendations. If plans go as expected student reassignment could occur in the years 2010 and 2011.
From the LRFP, on page 74, “The schools that could be affected by student reassignment are listed beside each of the recommended building projects.” Since we’re talking only high schools here, page 74 indicates that the D.H. Conley attendance area is not affected by reassignment. On the other hand the report says, “Farmville Central High School—Farmville Central High School, South Central High School, J. H. Rose High School”. This leads me to believe that some students in the South Central High School and J.H. Rose High School attendance areas will be reassigned to Farmville Central.
That’s the first phase of the county’s plan to “grow” their smaller high schools. The question is what areas will be bused to Farmville? How long will the bus rides be?
So, if anyone thinks high schools are not being if this plan goes into effect, they should think again!

Coming
Next: The second phase with high schools.

Researching an Ayden book

William Harrington and I are in the process of doing research for a future book about Ayden High School athletics.
Both of us are Ayden alumni. Both of us have an abiding love, not only for sports, but also for the community in which we grew up. It was there that we learned many lessons, among them was persistence, a consistent work ethic, and an attempt for excellence in our life pursuits.
I can’t speak for William. I have not reached the excellence plateau, but I have certainly enjoyed an attempt at excellence in the work I’ve performed over the past 44 years. I’ve fell short, but the trip toward that plateau was well worth the effort.
I have been trying to get copies of Ayden High School yearbooks. I’ve had a great deal of success but I still need to find quite a few yearbooks in the 20’s, 30’s, 40’s and 50’s. In future blogs here I will get more year specific.
What is our plan for the book we wish to write? In a nutshell we’d like to provide a history of Ayden athletics from its early days until the school closed its doors in 1971. We hope to show how the early days set the foundation for Ayden’s record football winning streak, its basketball and baseball state championships. We don’t know exactly how this book will play out. I am sure our thoughts today may change before we conclude. But, we’re going to give it the old Ayden effort.
In the process we hope to learn some stores former alumni will have to tell us. Stay tuned. You may be someone we’d like to talk to.
Our first interview was with Coach Thomas L. Lewis. William, Paul Miller and I spent several hours at his home on Oak Island, N.C. We enjoyed his company and we got his view of the times in Ayden from 1962-1967. Lewis was the football coach when Ayden began its 46-game winning streak in 1964. He left before the streak ended.
We’ll be interviewing other coaches and players and hopefully we’ll have a book a lot of people will want to read.
I think I do speak for William when I say this is an effort of love, not one for monetary gain on our part. We want to capture a history of Ayden High School that no one, to-date, has captured. And, those who want that history will have the opportunity for a keepsake.
Email me at moakley@coastalnet.com if you have AHS athletic information that we might be able to use.

A smaller school board?

A smaller school board

It is time for a smaller Pitt County Board of Education.
In June 1986, a 15-member Interim School Board was authorized by state statute upon the merger of the Pitt County and Greenville City school boards.
There were many people who did not believe in the merger of the two systems. Strong sentiment against merger was especially prevalent in the Pitt County system. Yet, the votes prevailed to effectuate the merger.
Members of that board included county board members, Mark W. Owens, Jr., James. W. A. (Jim) Black, Ferrell L. Blount III, J. Beverly Congleton, Jr., Walter E. Gaskins, Robert A. Halstead, Sr., Anne M. McGaughey and Stephen W. Tripp. Greenville members included George E. Williams, Erma S. Carr, Frank D. Grooms, and Stephen G. (Jack) Wall. Added to that board were Alfreida Jordan Parker, Matthew Donovan Phillips and David Lee Shackleford.
Eventually, the board was reduced to 12 members. There were discussions during the merger process of further reducing the board. Yet, despite that discussion, the size of the board remains, as it was initially set.
It is time to reduce the 12-member board to nine to mirror the election process of the Pitt County Board of Commissioners. Six members would be elected from the same six individual districts while two super districts would be formed for the election of three additional members.
The 12 members of the school board that exist today are elected from six districts. There are two seats, known as A and B, in each district. Each seat has a 6-year term. The A seats and B seats are staggered for election. Members are elected on primary day and qualified at the first meeting in December.
What would a reduction of the school board membership do for education?
I believe it would make the board more manageable and easier to reach consensus. There would be savings involved with the monthly pay that school board members receive for their services and possibly other savings related to the loss of the three members. I believe, too, that by have three super districts (the combination of two individual districts), it would broaden the thought process of those three members.
At the very least it is time to discuss the reduction of the Pitt County Board of Education. We need to do it in a methodical and intelligent way. But, in the end, we should do what is best for the education process.
Current members of the board include (listed as A seat first and B seat second):
District 1: Michael Dixon and Ralph Love
District 2: Billy Peaden and Mary Williams
District 3: Marcy Romary and Jill Camnitz
District 4: Roy Peaden and Barbara Owens
District 5: Richard Tolmie and Jennifer Little
District 6: Mary Grace Bright and Benjie Forrest
Watch for the poll coming up regarding this issue.

Speakers were unanimous

Speakers at Ayden-Grifton High School were unanimous in their 3-minute speeches to members of the Pitt County Board of Education Thursday night (Feb. 12). None of the 29 speakers wanted the school board to change the K-8 grade configuration.

A variety of reasons were given. Among those stated was the lack of continuity for students, the negative impact on the community and its people. Also mentioned were the hardships it would create for parents whose children may be bused to Ayden. The hardships would include extra after school care and transportation issues, which could lead to lost educational and extracurricular opportunities for the students.

Stay tuned. More on this meeting.

Quiz Bowl Champions

The Ayden-Grifton Quiz Bowl team defeated D.H. Conley on Saturday at Sheppard Memorial Library by a 210-95 score.

Participating in the event, in addition to Ayden-Grifton and D.H. Conley, was South Central High School, J.H. Rose High School and North Pitt High School. Ayden-Grifton is the smallest of the county's six high schools.

Ayden-Grifton defeated South Central in the opening round then defeated Conley and Rose to set up the championship with Conley.

Members of the team include starters Eddie Boseman, Kelley Brown, Jack Grochowski, and Melodie Libby. Remaining team members are Jared Ingle, Shellby Lewis, Kevin Johnson, Jeffrey Wilson, and Michelle Cox.

Will Tyer, a graduate of Ayden-Grifton High School by way for Grifton's K-8 school, is the team's coach.

Congratulations to this group of young women and men.

Thinking about configurations

Think about this!

Chicod has a K-8 school configuration.

Grifton School is a K-8 school configuration separated partially by McCrae Street.

Ayden has a K-8 configuration separated by Third Street.

Farmville has a K-12 configuration on essentially the same or adjoining campuses.

G.R. Whitfield has a K-8 configuration.

Bethel has a K-8 configuration.

Pactolus has a K-8 configuration.

Stokes has a K-8 configuration.

 The point is all these communities have one thing in common, with the exception of Farmville. All are K-8 communities while Farmville is a K-12 community. Thanks to the foresight of previous Farmville leaders they were able to keep their schools based in town, and that was admirable leadership. Who wouldn't love to have a K-12 campus in their community?

So, why now, when there is absolutely no academic reason, should the K-8 configuration be dismantled in other selected communities? The communities include Chicod, Grifton and G.R. Whitfield. More than likely the schools north of the Tar-Pamlico River will also be affected by Pitt County Schools' Long Range Facility Plan. Let's call it a student assignment plan. That's what it really is.

Why bus children when it is not required? Why cause parents to hire expensive after school daycare because both parents are at work? Why shift transportation costs to parents? Why make it more difficult for children to walk to and from school?

I recall my Dad saying to me while growing up on the farm. "Son, anything will work if you want to make it work."

Obviously K-8 schools have worked and will continue to work if school leaders want to make them work.

Listening sessions

The most important issue facing the people of southern Pitt County now is the Pitt County Schools Long Range Facility Plan (LRFP).

The LRFP seeks to dismantle K-8 schools at Grifton, Chicod and G.R. Whitfield. It proposes, in Grifton, to bus 6-8 grade students to Ayden Middle School. Grifton School will remain a K-5 configuration. The plan also proposes to make Chicod a K-5 school and G.R. Whitfield a 6-8 schools. Students in grades 6-8 at Chicod and in grades K-5 at G.R. Whitfield will be bused to other schools.

The proposed plan eliminates traditional school attendance boundaries, allowing school staff to move children in an effort to manage building capacity. Although the plan doesn't specifically speak to it, it is possible that children in the K-5 Ayden Elementary School could be bused to Grifton's K-5 if capacity warrants.

For those parents, community leaders, and taxpayers who want to have a say in this issue, the next listening session is at D.H. Conley High School on Monday (Feb. 9) night at 7 p.m. and at Ayden-Grifton High School on Thursday night, February Feb. 12, at 7 p.m.

Speakers should be at each listening session early, as early as 6 p.m, I would suggest, in order to sign up to speak for three minutes.