School board signs off on resolution allowing sale of Enochville Elementary to church

Published 12:05 am Wednesday, August 24, 2022

SALISBURY — The Rowan-Salisbury Schools Board of Education has signed off on a document that is the next step for selling the former Enochville Elementary School facility.

The board has already agreed to sell the property to Piedmont Baptist Church for $600,000, but the board was asked to sign off on a disposal resolution Monday. Administration described the resolution as a document often required by attorneys because it reduces the risk of delays when the property is transferred.

The agreement outlines the deal in a resolution format, including the sale price, the status of the building as surplus and the general statute that covers disposing of the property.

The school has been closed since June of 2021. Enochville and Faith elementary schools were both tapped to close to consolidate the number of empty seats in the district and generate financial savings.

The building is being sold as is.

In other news from the meeting:

• The board approved hiring a new attorney to represent the board in bond forfeiture matters. The board replaced local attorney Chrise Sease with local attorney Ryan Stowe of Salisbury’s Stowe Law Firm.

The board retains a local attorney for bond forfeiture and the appointment was routine. Sease will become a district court judge and will be unable to continue serving the board in that capacity.

The recommendation was made by the district’s general counsel firm Tharrington Smith.

Tharrington Smith Attorney Carolyn Murchison noted Graham Corriher, Salisbury’s city attorney, preceded Sease. Murchisan said the firm has spoken with Stowe and thinks he would do a good job for the district.

• The board approved meeting date changes for November and December. Rather than two meetings in each of those months the board consolidated the meetings to Nov. 14 and Dec. 12, both beginning at 4:30 p.m. at Wallace Educational Forum.

• The board made several recognitions. Phil Kirk made his annual presentation of the scholarship in his name to the district teacher of the year to attend a five-day seminar at the N.C. Center for the Advancement of Teaching. Rachey Moysan, an East Rowan High teacher, was this year’s recipient.

South Rowan High School student Gavin Mincey was named North Carolina’s American Legion JROTC Cadet of the Year based on his participation in his school’s JROTC program.

North Rowan High School state track champions were recognized as well. Brittany Ellis won the 1A shotput and discus events. Tai’Lah Ward won the 1A 100-meter hurdle and 300-meter hurdle.

Stephanie Edwards-Kluttz, a teacher at Granite Quarry Elementary School, was named the district’s 2022-2023 Exceptional Children Educator of Excellence. She will be recognized at the state E.C. conference in November. The board also recognized Robin Baker as E.C. Instructional Assistant of Excellence and Patrice Spillane, a speech-language pathologist at Landis Elementary School, as Related Service Provider of Excellence.

About Carl Blankenship

Carl Blankenship has covered education for the Post since December 2019. Before coming to Salisbury he was a staff writer for The Avery Journal-Times in Newland and graduated from Appalachian State University in 2017, where he was editor of The Appalachian.

email author More by Carl