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Locals React To Move Toward Closing School
August 20, 2008
Century residents in attendance at Tuesday night’s meeting of the Escambia County School Board were not pleased with the board’s decision to begin the process to rezone the school’s students away, a potential move toward closing the school.
“Disappointment” was the recurring word in the hallways of the J.E. Hall Center in Pensacola following the board’s decision. To read about the board’s decision Tuesday night, click here.
“I’m extremely disappointed in our District 5 representative,” Century Council President Ann Brooks said of board member Pete Gindl’s vote to begin the rezoning process. “How can we make the kids come back? They (the school board) made them leave.”
“He (Gindl) does not even know how to get up there to Century, to the school,” Brenda Spencer, a member of the town’s Blue Ribbon Committee, said. “He had to call for directions. But this is not over. The board is going to meet with us.”
“I am disappointed,” Century Mayor Freddie McCall said. “It happened tonight as I expected. With all the improvements we’ve made, we can’t give up now. Mr. Paul left the door open.”
Principal Jeff Garthwaite said there were 226 students sitting in his school on Tuesday. He said he’s doing all that he can to improve that number, but’s it is a hard thing to do.
“As long as we have the cloud of closure hanging over our heads, it is less likely for us to bring the kids back to the school,” Garthwaite said.
“And there are some community issues and hurdles that have to be addressed,” he said. “The community is fighting to keep its identity.”
Comments
4 Responses to “Locals React To Move Toward Closing School”
yes lets close the school and have to bus these children to molino park because bratt elementary is full. i am sure riding a un air condition bus for several hours a day is really going to help matters. diesel prices rising everday.. these children deserve the right to a education in which they live.
It is a sad day when your own representative does not stand up for the very people that put him in office. Not that his vote would of made a diffrence but it would of been nice to know that he cares about somewhere besides Walnut Hill.I grew up in downtown Century my husband and I graduated from there and our 4 children attended school there. I like to think we are all productive, law abiding citizens and proud to live in north escambia. Times change and progress moves in I do believe with the elected officials that we now have in Century that they are moving in the right direction. We have a nice clean, safe environment at Cenrtury/Carver, parents visit it and see what your children are missing.
“And there are some community issues and hurdles that have to be addressed,” he said. “The community is fighting to keep its identity.”
Those words have never been spoken more true! This is what happens when they take the schools and the kids away. We lose our identity. Don’t let them steal our identity. The school is to important to leave up to the school board. Everyone needs to get personally involved go to the meetings see if there is at least ONE single way that you can help the fight!
This is a sad day for the people of Century and the people of the north end of the county. All the money that was put into remodeling that school and then we are going to let them close it. ( Are we going to rent it out for a dollar a year also???)The TAX PAYING PEOPLE of this county should be looked after better than this by our ELECTED officials. Elected means we have a vote use it in the election to put these people out of office. I believe it is going to be very soon so do your job as the PEOPLE and get out and vote. I went to a small school only 25 in my senior class. Glad they didn’t find it inefficent when I was going to school. Mr. Paul and Mr. Gindl have made a huge error in judgement and the rest of the Board that voted to close this school are in the same boat with them. If money is the problem why not take some of what is paid to keep the tourist happy in the south end and put it to good use in the north end for a change. Why, because nobody is making a profit off of it. When did the school system become a profit making system. I thought all these years it for for the betterment of our communities not to make a profit. Hopefully we will make a better choice in the coming election.
I don’t live in Century but, I do work there and I have seen the effect that closing that school will have on the kids of Century. It is a DISGRACE what you are doing to these kids.
DON’T LET THIS HAPPEN MR. PAUL AND THE REST OF YOU ELECTED BOARD MEMBERS OF ESCAMBIA COUNTY.