High interest in high school — set a course for education

Economic slowdowns come, and economic slowdowns go. But school needs go on forever.

For that reason, David Aycoth is right to push the Rowan-Salisbury Board of Education to come up with a long-range plan to deal with building needs. Building a new Salisbury High and turning the old one into a middle school may or may not be a wise part of that plan. But give Aycoth credit for thinking ahead. The last thing the schools need is a board that thinks only from crisis to crisis or meeting to meeting.

The misstep Aycoth made this week was in putting together a meeting among school officials and community members that —once word leaked out —appeared exclusive and secretive. Aycoth insists that was not his intention. He was trying to bring people together.

Rumors swirled that certain business people were invited, as if they intended to exploit this access for financial gain or exert some power over the outcome. But business people are parents, too, and many of them have a lifelong history of attending and supporting Salisbury High. Their opinions count.

The opinions of people who live around Salisbury High School must count, too. So must the opinions of people who want nothing to do with Salisbury High School but who live so close to the city that inclusion in the Salisbury district appears imminent.

Since interest in the subject appears so high, the school board might consider holding a series of small public meetings where people can come together and share ideas. Such gatherings might not attract large crowds, but if they’re announced in advance and open to the public, no one can claim to have been excluded. Openness is crucial to building communitywide consensus.

Salisbury High School is far and away the oldest structure still being used as a high school in Rowan County. For history-minded Salisbury, that is a point of pride, not cause for replacement. It is also the most architecturally distinctive and technologically advanced, when it comes to computers. It is a top-quality structure.

But will it be able to continue to serve as the city’s high school for another 10, 20 or 30 years?And what would it take to equip this school to be ready for that future?School board members must take the long view. The economy may be taking a breather this year, but trends point to more residential growth within and around Salisbury. The community has to brainstorm on this subject with an open mind. Salisbury needs all ideas on the table.

If student enrollment across the county grows rapidly, the county may have more than one high school in its 10-to-30-year future. But for the people of Salisbury, this may be a once-in-a-lifetime chance to decide where city youths will get their high-school education. What would be best for them?