Ada M. Fisher, MD, MPH, NC Republican National Committeewoman
♦While this Rowan community was sleeping, I tried to identify during my tenure on the Board of Education East Spencer as the rightful site of a Central Office Complex and the Alternative School. The Dunbar Center which has a cafeteria, gym, outdoor athlete facilities, vocational facilities for cosmetology and other assets was sold for $250,000 rather than invest two million in it to upgrade it and create a credible Alternative School and Center for Learning Excellence. It could likely be purchased for probably not much more than that now and made serviceable for a song.
Adjacent to that facility are two buildings which are vacant that could have been used for a Central Office Complex and could be knocked down to put a new facility there if certain things are done.
-We need a tally on all the properties owned by the Board of Education including schools, storage sites, etc. The Board should not be allowed to become a hoarder of properties of little value and should sell things it isn’t using or that aren’t in their ten year plan.
-We need to know the student growth over the last 10 years which per data given me shows a decrease.
-We need to know how many of our students and at what level are in alternative learning environments including home schooled, private schools, charter schools, etc.
To my knowledge all of our cities of the county except for East Spencer have an educational facility in their midst around which much of that community’s life revolves. It is unfortunate that the biggest blocker to East Spencer’s opportunities for pariety have in the past been a school board member and a city council person. East Spencer sits in the center of the county, has access directly off of I-85 and could be a hub for economic activity. If we wake up and play to our strengths we will all be well served.
MOVEMENT FOR EAST SPENCER ECONOMIC JUSTICE
