03/29/2024
Bladen County Schools
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By: Cheryl Thurston

On September 1st, Bladen County Schools’ Superintendent, Dr. Robert Taylor proposed to the School Consolidation AdHoc Committee, a plan to consolidate and combine several schools in Bladen County and when to move forward with the proposal, according to the minutes of the AdHoc Committee meeting. The minutes of the meeting are a hit and miss synopsis of the true intent of Dr. Taylor and the committee.

There were no true facts, figures, budgets, or data recorded in the minutes and none were eluded to during the  discussion in the meeting except for the number of students at schools and the number miles between schools. Without referring to any facts, figures, costs, budgets, or data according to the minutes, committee members, administrative staff, and Dr. Taylor discussed possibly closing schools, renovations to schools’  facilities that would stay open, adding bus transportation, and purchasing new mobile units.

The minutes show there was discussion about a Phase I and a Phase II of the consolidation process. Dr. Taylor’s proposal during the meeting includes a plan to close Clarkton School of Discovery, and have its current students divided between Elizabethtown Middle School, Bladenboro Middle School, and East Arcadia. The placement of current Clarkton students would be determined by where they reside in the district.

Dr. Taylor includes a plan to close the Booker T. Washington Primary and have the students divided between Bladenboro Primary and East Arcadia Elementary Schools. If approved, this would effectively close all schools in Clarkton.

Dr. Taylor has recommended the closing of Plain View Primary School and dividing those students with Dublin Primary and Bladen Lakes Primary be included in the proposal, according to the minutes. While the minutes did reflect some student numbers  per school, the minutes were not clear if the numbers per school were before or after the consolidation.

According to Dr. Taylor closing Booker T. Washington, Clarkton School of Discovery and Plain View Primary would be the first phase of the consolidation of schools. Taylor addressed the need to expand the cafeterias at Dublin and Bladenboro Primary during the first phase of the schools consolidation process.

Bladen Lakes Primary also needs to have mobile units replaced with modular units according to Taylor in his recommendation to the committee, Dublin Primary would require additional parking and a modular unit. There is a possibility the State would cover the cost of additional parking at Dublin according to Transportation Shop Foreman, Gause’s statement in the meeting’s minutes. However, no estimated cost figures or cost savings for Phase I or II of the consolidation were discussed at the meeting according to the minutes.

Dr. Taylor referred to a Phase II of the consolidation as being in the distant future. He proposed in Phase II Elizabethtown Primary would need an entire new cafeteria and their current cafeteria could be made into a multi-purpose building. According to the minutes of the meeting Bladenboro Primary also needs a multi-purpose building. It is unclear in the minutes which phase the Bladenboro Primary multi-purpose building would be added or the cost of the building. According to Taylor funds from Capital Outlay or Lottery funds would pay for the multi-purpose buildings.

There were added concerns brought fourth by board member, Alan West, about the sports teams at the middle schools, the buses and the enrollment at the high schools. The solution West suggested for the sports teams is to have a Squad One team and a Squad Two team. Tim Gause, with the transportation department, explained the buses would not decrease in number and the county may need additional buses to shorten the amount of time students would spend traveling. The board discussed boundary lines for the two high schools.

While there was a brief mention in the minutes about the Career Technical Education Program needing to be split with personnel going to three different middle schools and wanting to improve programs, surprisingly, there were no discussions recorded about teachers positions, and the future of other schools’ personnel. There was no mention of teacher to student ratio with the consolidation in the minutes.

Though the minutes reflect the committee recommended moving forward in the school year 16-17 with closing Booker T. Washington, Clarkton School of Discovery, Plainview Primary School, making modifications at other schools as needed and allowing five or six months for public input, never did the minutes from this meeting reflect any mention of how much it would cost tax payers, how much it would save tax payers or if there may be any other alternatives. Not once did Dr. Taylor or any committee member reference any past facts, figures or data they collected showing the consolidation they are recommending would be saving any money.

Dr. Taylor stated that the Commissioners would pay for the costs of the consolidation plan, however, when BladenOnline.com contacted the Chairman of the Board of Commissioners, Mr. Charles Ray Peterson, he stated that no proposal had been submitted to the Commissioners for review.

According to our recorders and research the committee’s recommendation made in the September 1st meeting was approved by the School Board at their September 14th meeting, however there was no meeting where the recommendation or a proposal was taken to the County Commissioners to be approved

BladenOnline.com reached out to Bladen County Manager, Greg Martin, and Bladen County Board of Commissioners’ Chairperson, Charles Ray Peterson. Both officials said no formal proposal of school consolidations had been brought before the County Commissioners. BladenOnline tried to reach Dr. Taylor and other school officials for comments however, they were unavailable at the time.

All concerned citizens should get involved in these discussions before the final decisions are made. For more information contact the Board of Education (910) 862-4136.

To view the minutes from the AdHoc Committee click here.

 

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