Public Schools of Robeson County students prep for school after consolidation

LUMBERTON, NC (WBTW) There are two weeks left until students in the Public Schools of Robeson County start news schools after the board’s consolidation decision.

In a prior interview with Superintendent Shanita Wooten she told News13 five schools would be consolidated due to a $2 million operating deficit. Those schools included Janie C. Hargrave Elementary, R.B Dean Elementary, Rowland Middle, Green Grove Elementary and South Robeson High School.

The board gave community members a chance to voice their concerns regarding the consolidation but still went forward with their decision. With the first day of class right around the corner, some parents said they feel like everything happened too quickly.

“They still don’t know what time they will get on the buses. They still don’t know how long they will be on the buses. These are questions that were never answered for us even whenever they had the transition where we found out what schools our students were supposed to go to,” said Amy Lowery, Parent.

Lowery is the mother of a former South Robeson student, Cale Lowery, who will now have to attend Purnell Swett High School.

“You look at your senior year as an accomplishment, but this is not an accomplishment. This is a setback I’m going to lose my class rank,” Cale said.

Cale would’ve graduated top ten at South Robeson but believes that will no longer happen at Purnell due to their being more students.

South Robeson students had the opportunity to attend Fairmont or Purnell. Cale said he’s now considering graduating early after the consolidation.

“It’s not going to be easy going forward because when you come here, and you take away things from these people..they say that change was necessary and somebody had to do it. Change was needed, they claimed, but I don’t see where it was needed at all,” he said.

News13 reached out to the Public Schools of Robeson County, but they declined to comment.

There will be a county-wide open house on August 22 where students and parents are supposed to meet their teachers and walk through their new schools.