The Scotland County School District has held a series of meetings over the last few months concerning potential consolidation.
This all comes after a capacity study was done at the request of the county commissioner.
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The district is considering change, in total, potentially consolidating 8 elementary schools in 5 schools.
It would eliminate 26 of its mobile classrooms; convert Sycamore Lane Middle School into an elementary school.
Also it could mean the closure of 4 schools, one being Pate Gardner Elementary school in Gibson.
“That school will affect this town greatly if it leaves. A lot of people look at the Town of Gibson…when they think of the Gibson school,” said Town Commissioner Pete Wilkins.
However according to the district, consolidation would mean more money that would go directly to the schools, better safety and the age of schools going down from 50 to 29.
“I don’t agree with it. I definitely don’t agree with it. Ain’t nothing wrong with the school. The way the taxes are in Scotland County at the high rate of taxes that we pay, I can’t understand why you would want to close a school that is still useable and still feasible to keep it up,” explained Wilkins.
No decision has been made yet. A public hearing will be held next Monday at 6:30pm at the A.B. Gibson Education Center before a decision is made.
For more information regarding the potential consolidation, click here go to the Scotland County School District’s website.
