Engaged today. Transforming tomorrow. – Knox Intermediate School design plans unveiled during Thursday showcase
Published 12:10 am Saturday, May 24, 2025
SALISBURY — The F&M Trolley Barn was abuzz on Thursday with community shareholders and Rowan-Salisbury School officials as guests learned more about design updates to the new Knox Intermediate School.
The minds behind implementation of a vision for the new Knox made up the community design team, a group of those with a stake in the future of their neighborhood school.
“This process really started as we pulled people together who are super invested in the school and the community and really wanted to make this real,” Superintendent Dr. Kelly Withers said at the event.
During a presentation, design team member Ebony Rivers Boyd described that team building.
“We began this process as individuals — parents, students, educators, neighbors — but we leave as a family with a united goal: the promise of a new Knox not just for our students, but for our community,” she said.
That team’s work has taken on many forms from late nights to field trips, including a visit to Washington, D.C.
“There were lots of words like in our initial interviews, about building a school that the kids deserve,” Withers said. “What does that mean? They really tried to dive into what that is going to look like.”
On Thursday, attendees were greeted with a passport and scattered around the room were stations where they could explore various concepts related to the new school design and blueprint that resulted from those long hours of planning. One of those concepts is the strong start philosophy.
“The strong start is a big piece, the check ins with the students, and even more so with staff as well, that is unique,” Withers said of the concept gleaned from the visit to Statesmen Prep, a school in the nation’s capital. “They saw it in action and how meaningful it was to check in with everybody before you even get started with the day. Remove any barriers and talk about what is maybe on your mind before you get to the learning.”
The strong start was just one such concept to be implemented at the new 3-8 school being constructed on the former site of Knox Middle School.
Knox Intermediate School’s mission statement says, “JH Knox Intermediate is an innovative and inclusive learning community where all students engage in meaningful, challenging and well-rounded learning experiences that build academic excellence, support critical thinking and inspire transformative growth. Every graduate leaves JH Knox prepared to succeed in high school, give back to their community and thrive throughout their lives.”
Another part of that formula entails the career connected learning, where instruction links career possibilities with day-to-day curriculum. Creating an atmosphere where that is the norm versus the exception has the superintendent excited about the possibilities.
“I think the career-connected learning is something that even as a district we are working towards, but starting a school with that mindset is entirely different than trying to change a mindset,” Withers said.
If Knox proves successful, Withers believes it can be a model for other campuses in the school system.
“Part of this model and our research is how do we pilot it in other places?” Withers said. “The idea is yes. If we find something good for kids, and it’s good for kids in every place, then we would scale it across the district.”
While not every school can expect a complete rebuild, faculty and staff at those places can learn from Knox’s efforts.
“One of the biggest ways and most transformative ways to develop staff and capacities of staff is by doing what we call go and sees,” Withers said. “When you can go and see in your own district programs that are working, it helps change the mindset where you don’t have to travel to Washington, D.C., or other locations to see it.”
RSS Board Chair Kathy McDuffie Sanborn was thrilled with the turnout on Thursday.
“It tells me that this community is behind Knox,” Sanborn said. “They are ready for a new Knox and for the promises. They are excited to see where we are going to go.”
As a member of the community design team, Sanborn has been integral in the development of the school’s blueprint since last year. She said that working with that team of invested parties has been more than rewarding and that Thursday’s turnout confirmed her beliefs.
“It was a group of individuals who came together with one focus and that was the promise of what Knox could be,” Sanborn said. “Tonight, I think the best part was just seeing people from the community coming and asking questions and especially seeing some of the former educators who were really excited about being here.”
During the event, members of the community design team joined together in a circle and one by one said, “I put my hand in your hand,” as they linked with the member next to them. As the circle was completed, design team member Gemale Black reiterated a mantra that has come to encompass all the team worked to achieve.
“Together, we can do what we could never do alone,” the group said in unison.
To check out the Knox Intermediate School blueprint, go to:
