Midway parents will get their say May 14
by Doug Clark
16 months ago | 491 views | 8 8 comments | 5 5 recommendations | email to a friend | print
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Parents in the Midway district will have a chance to express their opinions regarding the reconfiguration of schools to Sampson County Board of Education members Thursday, May 14.

The public forum will be held at 7 p.m. in the Midway High School auditorium. The official word came during Monday night’s monthly board meeting.

Although both the board’s Auxiliary/Finance and Personnel/Curriculum committees have expressed the desire to select the option in the district that will put K-2 at Midway Elementary and grades 3-5 at the old Midway High School, which will cost the system $679,329 — incidentally, the cheapest of five initial options — nothing will be finalized until after the meeting with parents in the district and final board approval.

The other options presented at earlier meetings were to close Midway Elementary and move it to the old Midway High School (option 1); move grades 5 and 6 to the old Midway High School (option 3); and to move grades 7 and 8 to the old Midway High School and move grades 5 and 6 to Midway Middle School (option 4); and close Midway Elementary and move Midway Middle with sixth grade going to Midway Elementary and grades 7 and 8 to old Midway High School (option 5). The total costs of the individual options are: Option 1 —$590,000; Option 3 —913,242; Option 4 — 1,118,157 and Option 5 — $854,387.

“We want parents to have a chance to tell us what they are thinking and get their feedback,” said superintendent Dr. Ethan Lenker. “The meeting will run with the same format as the regular board meetings. The parents will have to sign in, give their addresses, and then (they) will have three minutes to address the board.”

The meeting date was unanimously approved by the board.

To reach Doug Clark call 910-592-8137 ext. 139 or send e-mail to sisports@myclintonnc.com.

Do you support the school board's reconfiguration plan?


comments (8)
« MOXY04 wrote on Friday, May 01 at 11:15 AM »
BLUETARPMASTER, CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW??? SORRY ABOUT THAT, I'M NOT REALLY YELLING, I JUST LIKE TO TYPE IN ALL CAPS. PLEASE DO NOT BE OFFENDED.

ANYWAY, I COULD NOT AGREE WITH YOU MORE. HOWEVER, I THINK YOU GOT THE MAJORITY RACE INCORRECT. IF I AM NOT MISTAKEN THE UNION DISTRICT IS NOW MORE THAN 50% HISPANIC AND NO LONGER IS THE BLACK RACE THE MAJORITY HOWEVER THE WHITE PEOPLE ARE STILL THE MINORITY DOWN HERE. REGARDLESS, YOU CAN'T COMPARE APPLES AND ORANGES. HOW CAN CHILDREN WHO ARE NOT PREPARED TO SPEAK OR WRITE ENGLISH BE EXPECTED TO COMPETE WITH CHILDREN WHOSE FAMILIES HAVE SPOKEN THE LANGUAGE FOR CENTURIES AND KNOW HOW TO PULL THE STRINGS OF THE SYSTEM? THE SCHOOL BOARD REALLY SHOULD CONSIDER REDISTRICTING AND PULLING SOME OF THESE LOWER INCOME UNDER PRIVELEGED AREAS AROUND SAMPSON COUNTY INTO SCHOOLS WHERE THEY CAN BE EXPOSED TO MORE OF A VARIETY OF PEOPLE AND THUS BETTER EDUCATED OR AT LEAST WELL ROUNDED. I THINK THE ONLY COUNTY IN THE STATE WHERE 2 SCHOOL DISTRICTS MAKE SENSE IS MECKLENBURG COUNTY. THEY HAVE THE POPULATION TO NEED THIS TYPE OF BREAKDOWN. IN SAMPSON COUNTY IT SEEMS TO CAUSE AN INCREASE IN BIGOTRY AND A GENERAL FEELING OF SUPERIORITY FOR THOSE WHO ATTEND CLINTON CITY SCHOOLS. IT MAKES ABSOLUTELY NO ECONOMIC SENSE TO HAVE 2 DIFFERENT SCHOOL SYSTEMS. LETS ALL WORK TOGETHER TO PROVIDE THE BEST EDUCATION POSSIBLE FOR ALL OF OUR CHILDREN.
« JAFS wrote on Thursday, Apr 30 at 10:06 AM »
Moxy, I couldn't agree more. Why does the state continue to allow one county to have two different school systems? Imagine the overhead that could be cut from the state budget while eliminating all those overpaid county office employees. I remember the scandal of the late 80s and early 90s that finally shook old Sampco up with regard to race and equality of education. Let's do away with Clinton City make it all Sampson County and work together so each child has the same opportunities no matter what end of the county they reside. And if you don't like what the public system offers then you always have HCA or MCA. LOL
« bluetarpmaster wrote on Thursday, Apr 30 at 09:41 AM »
MOXY04, YOU FORGOT TO PUT EVERYTHING IN ALL CAP'S BECAUSE OTHERWISE I CAN'T HEAR YOU.

I SEE MY POINT WENT OVER EVERYONE'S HEAD, BUT I'LL LIMP THROUGH IT. I WAS STATING A FACT WHERE UNION IS MOSTLY BLACK AND MIDWAY IS MOSTLY WHITE THE TWO SHOULD COMBINED. BETTER YET, TAKE HALF OF EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT AND BUS THEM TO THE OTHER.I THINK IT'S ABOUT TIME FOR THE WHITE ELITISTS OF MIDWAY WERE TAKEN DOWN A FEW NOTCHES. HOWEVER, AS STATED IN A PREVIOUS POSTING, WE NEED TO GET THE SAMPSON COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD OUT THE POCKETS OF THE MIDWAY AREA. ONLY THEN WILL THERE EVER BE ANY EQUALITY.
« MOXY04 wrote on Thursday, Apr 30 at 04:05 AM »
Obviously, some people aren't paying attention to the statistics. The Union District is the most overcrowded district in the county. In other words years back when lakewood got a new high school and other districts got what they wanted like Midway. There were more and more children pouring into the Union School District. (otherwise known as the redheaded stepchild), Union District was forgotten!!

Union Elementary school that was built for less than an 800 person capacity (that is students and teachers total). The day the school opened it was too small! Today that same elementary school has over one-thousand students enrolled not to mention the faculty. Yet, it was the Midway district complaining about opening the old high schools etc. that put the opening of the old Union High (and midway high) on hold, to relieve overcrowding. Maybe they (Midway) weren't overcrowded but Union District still is. I think the board should re-draw the district lines and do away with "Clinton City Schools" (since they are an economic drain on the county), and try to make things a little more equal for every school district in the county.
« sampsonoriginal wrote on Wednesday, Apr 29 at 03:23 PM »
the headline to this article reads: "midway parents will get their say may 14"

if one were to observe that emaculate structure located at 15274 spiveys corner hwy- it would be obvious that they've already gotten their say!

ya'll come over to the LHS district, where we too like to play ball and have a good time, it's too bad, though, that it took us til now (3 games before the end of the season & end of the school year), to get our scoreboard working- sampson co. board, you should be ashamed!
« bluetarpmaster wrote on Wednesday, Apr 29 at 01:20 PM »
As you may well know, Midway school district is an example of too much money and influence trying to steam roll its way through this because they have the county school board in its pockets. You're right wilcat, they were pretty blatant about the whole thing. I think the Midway school district should be closed and be realigned with the Union School District. If you have seen the new high school, you would realize the school is way too fancy for a farming area where most shovel hog crap.
« sampsonoriginal wrote on Wednesday, Apr 29 at 11:57 AM »
DIDDO wildcat2525!
« wildcat2525 wrote on Tuesday, Apr 28 at 11:01 AM »
the whole idea that the midway district is getting more money is messed up. they got a new high school they didn't need. why didn't they revamp the old one like they are doing to Hobbton. if the board is going to show favoritism to midway, they could be less blatant about it. Charles e. perry and lakewood need help. now midway has their hand out again. if the board approves midway, they should all be replaced because they are clearly not working for sampson county as a whole. the only exception would be glenn tart the others need to find new jobs because they suck at this one.
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