Beverly Smith, from Faith school, was one of the parents that spoke in 2016 when concerned parents gathered at the Rowan County Fairgrounds. Photo by Jon C. Lakey, Salisbury Post.

“ Morgan School’s lives matter, and you cannot shut us down.”

— August Spencer, kindergartner, at a rally for people opposed to the plan to close six schools in the Rowan-Salisbury system

“We’re just really talking about a discussion. We don’t know yet where we’ll end up.”

— Josh Wagner, chairman, Rowan-Salisbury Board of Education, on proposal to close six schools

“Are we going to be perfect? No, but are we going to be better? Absolutely. Give us some time.”

— Craig Pierce, county commissioner, on Rowan’s animal control operation

“Stay calm and wrestle hard.”

— Max Wall, East Rowan wrestler, on philosophy that helped him win  the Dutch Meyer Award for Rowan’s top high school wrestler

“Art expresses culture, and you can’t get culture out of math.”

— Juli Ward, A.L. Brown student, on STEM classes and the need for art

“As far as preserving history, I can’t think of anything more incompatible than colored lights.”

— Clyde, local artist, on putting colored lights on the gateway fountain