My daughter attends Southern Pines Primary school. She has had an amazing experience at this Title 1 school, yet people (in this case, from Pinehurst who are being pulled down) are not happy that their children will be going to that school. If your student population is over a certain percentage of free and reduced lunches, students qualify for Title I status, which has brought in some AMAZING programs to our school.
To speak frankly, I think that his map has shown the glaring disproportion of the “good” vs “bad” schools in the county, and the reputation they have (which is not based on fact). So why not make ALL of our schools the GOOD schools? Why not redistribute and create schools that all look like Pinecrest, a fantastic and successful school? You should see my kindergartener reading at a second- to- third-grade level. She could not read in August of last year.
Many people are arguing that they “pay Pinehurst taxes, so it should fund Pinehurst schools.” That’s simply not how county schools systems work. The taxes that fund education go to the umbrella fund for ALL county schools, which means the money should be distributed evenly from Robbins to Aberdeen to Pinehurst. Your town specific taxes pay for municipal items: parks, roads, etc.
Also, I thought the way that Dr. Bob and staff ran the public forum was fantastic. If parents had been allowed to yell (like they already were—totally against the rules and totally disrespectful) the whole time, not a single question would have been answered. Also, for the record, this problem affects the WHOLE COUNTY, not just a certain section in the middle.
It’s about time we who have access to a middle class lifestyle can help the small minority here who don’t. Let’s rise to the occasion and instead of fighting the change, acknowledge that change needs to happen here for all of our students. Start getting involved in our new schools, whichever one they may be. It starts with us helping the process, not hindering it. I tell my 5- and 3-year-old all the time: Be a problem solver, not a problem maker. I guess I can say the same to those who aren’t in support of redistricting.
— Laura N.
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