It’s a different world than it was in the 1920s, when Cleveland and Woodleaf elementaries were built.
In those days, many of the students came from families that depended on nearby farms or local textile factories for their livelihoods. There was no interstate highway system. Food Lion didn’t exist, and Cheerwine was a relatively new concoction flowing out of L.D. Peeler’s beverage company, along with a long-forgotten favorite known as Mint Cola.
There’s a lot of history in the school walls that have housed multiple generations of students ó some of them from the same family. There’s also a lot of community pride, as evidenced by the numerous speakers who have turned out for two separate public hearings to voice their support for preserving the two schools as separate entities, rather than consolidating them into one larger elementary school to serve that part of western Rowan. The school board has discussed consolidation as one possible option for dealing with two aging structures that need extensive repair and renovation, if not outright replacement. Board members estimate that building one school to serve the combined 700-plus students would save at least $10 million, compared to the cost of building two schools.
When it comes to debate about school size, few would argue for consolidation as an end in itself. In matters of education, most of us think that nearby is better than distant, and smaller is better than bigger. While the correlation with academic achievement may not be certain, we believe ó rightly or wrongly ó that students acclimate better to smaller schools and enjoy a stronger sense of connection to other students and staff. School administrators probably wouldn’t argue that point. For them, the debate hinges on economies of scale and cost savings, especially in a school system that has a daunting list of capital needs, including replacement of Knox Middle School and a new central office for the system. School officials obviously have to weigh many competing demands in making this decision, but they’ve emphasized that what they heard at these hearings has made an impact.
Let’s hope so. What hasn’t changed so dramatically from the time these schools were built is the sense of community in Cleveland and Woodleaf. The buildings and systems may be outdated, but the schools clearly haven’t outlived their role as institutions that contribute greatly to the cohesiveness and stability of their respective communities. Even as other rural areas are quickly unraveling under the stresses of rapid growth and urban consolidation, these are still close-knit communities, and the schools are an essential part of that fabric. Listen to Mary Taylor, a volunteer at Cleveland Elementary who can sometimes calm a boisterous youngster with the simple phrase: “I know your grandma.” Or former Woodleaf Principal Robert Hunter, who spoke of knowing the name of every child in his school ó and probably most of their parents’ names, too.
You can put a price on steel, bricks and mortar, but how do you assign a dollar value to things like that?