ROWLAND — A large crowd of students, parents and residents met Monday night to organize opposition to closing Rowland’s high school and middle school.

The Board of Education of the Public Schools of Robeson County voted on June 17 to terminate South Robeson High School, the county’s smallest high school with about 450 students, and consolidate Rowland and Fairgrove middle schools on the former high school campus. South Robeson students, some rising seniors, would be dispersed to Fairmont, Lumberton and Purnell Swett high schools.

More than 200 people, many standing, met at the town’s community center to create a plan to keep South Robeson open. They signed a petition, made posters and gave passionate speeches.

“We don’t have much time, just two weeks,” moderator Melissa Davis-Ocean said, noting the next meeting of the Board of Education is July 9. “We need to form a committee and agree on a plan.”

“This will kill our town,” said Phillip Washington, a grandparent.

“Our high school is our heart,” said Amarie Leach, a student.

Nekeia Whittington, a parent of three South Robeson graduates and of current students at the high school, middle school and elementary school, said there are safety issues with rival Fairmont High School.

“Our children are being sacrificed,” Whittington said. “I’m so glad to see so many people here.”

Other speakers said threats already have been passed between Fairmont and South Robeson students over Snapchat, a social media network. Other speakers worried about class rankings and South Robeson’s athletes and cheerleaders being given a chance to play and cheer at the three larger schools.

Davis-Ocean called for hundreds of protesters to appear at the next school board meeting. Attending the first meeting were Rowland Mayor Michelle Shooter and county Commissioner Pauline Campbell.

School board member Brenda Fairley-Ferebee, who represents South Robeson, was not present. School administrators have said they would hold community meetings at several locations.

Consolidation plans for the next school year also are set for the Maxton and Lumberton areas. In Maxton, R.B. Dean Elementary will close and consolidate with Townsend Middle School. Green Grove Elementary will close.

In Lumberton, Janie C. Hargrave Elementary will close and its students will attend W.H. Knuckles Elementary.

Speakers were critical of school district lines, which meander through the county, and school board transfer policies, which the say have helped deplete South Robeson’s enrollment. School financial records are needed to show where PSRC’s $2 million deficit came from, Davis-Ocean said.

The most moving speeches came from students, including Cale Lowery, who got a standing ovation.

“There is a coordinated attack on the south side of the county,” Lowery said. “Change starts at the ballot box.

“My heart is broken.”

Davis-Ocean, who was a candidate for school board last year, offered two plans: First to merge Rowland Middle at South Robeson High; and second, to petition the state to become an I-Zone school, which is a relatively new state program aimed at low-wealth schools.

Under public and state pressure, the county Board of Education moved to close four schools and terminate South Robeson High School. The board faces a $2 million deficit from the current school year and was making little progress on a solution when the state Board of Education stepped in to consult.

A consolidation plan, created by Superintendent Shanita Wooten and her staff, was heard this past week. Initially, South Robeson was to close during the 2020-21 school year, but the board swept it up with the closures and consolidations in Maxton and Lumberton.

Personnel costs to run Robeson County’s smallest public schools was cited as the motivating factor. Wooten expects to save at least $1.7 million with the closure and consolidation plan and another $800,000 in program restructuring.

At Rowland Middle, with an enrollment of 136, the state funds only 5.8 teacher positions, while the school has 16.5 teachers in order to provide an education on par with other Robeson County schools.

School district administrators met with teachers, staff and administrators of affected schools this past week. The ball is rolling but the timeline is tight for working out the logistics of the change.

After the meeting, Whittington said she is hopeful.

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Scott Bigelow

Staff writer

Reach Scott Bigelow at 910-644-4497 or [email protected].