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Consolidation: People, not buildings, make a school special

Wood County Schools MUST close and consolidate some buildings — specifically McKinley, Waverly and Worthington elementary schools and Van Devender Middle School. The reasons, both financial and academic have been laid out plainly.

Yet as has been the case in previous discussions about school closures in this county, a great many of the adults speaking publicly on the matter seem much more concerned about a few brick-and-mortar facilities than about the educations of their children and the financial wellbeing of the district.

This week, a brave young eighth-grader named Justus White spoke eloquently to the school board about the good things Vandy does for kids.

“The teachers, they care more about the kids than they do their jobs,” he said. “Where would everyone go? To most kids, Vandy is a second home. They rely on the teachers to help with more than just education.”

White is to be commended for having the courage to speak as he did.

But the answers to his questions are simple — and the adults who encouraged him to speak during the public forum know that.

For starters, White and many of the other students at the schools in question will have already moved on from those buildings by the time any of the school board’s plan comes to fruition.

(If you wonder what that has to do with anything, please note some of the loudest voices during the discussion about closing Waverly a few years ago are silent now … because their children and grandchildren are no longer attending that school.)

But regarding his other concerns, the closures would allow students to go to schools with more resources and likely an improved educational environment. Most of those talented, caring teachers will be taking their skills with them — the fantastic programs and practices they put in place at Vandy will not be left behind.

Students transition from preschools to elementary schools to middle schools to high schools … and then some to college. Change is not new to them (or necessarily bad for them). They want a good education in a safe, secure environment, surrounded by teachers and administrators who care. That will not change if they are going to school every day in a different building.

There is nothing magical about the walls of Vandy or any other building in the Wood County Schools system, despite the memories some adults may be clinging to there. It is the people — and their attitude — that make the educational experience special. It seems as though a few grown-ups must summon a measure of the courage they expected White to display, and let go of whatever it is that has caused them to cling to unnecessary buildings. It is time for everyone to be on the same page in facing the exciting possibilities for the improvement of education for ALL kids in Wood County.

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