Parents in the Midway District will have an opportunity to voice their opinions on the planned reconfiguration of schools in their community Thursday night when the Sampson County Board of Education members and superintendent Dr. Ethan Lenker hold a public meeting on the subject.

Although the date of the event is the same, the time has been moved ahead an hour because of a prior engagement at the school. Start time for the meeting will now be 8 p.m. in the Midway High School gymnasium.

The public hearing is being held so board members can get a “good consensus” of what the system can do to better enhance the Midway community,Lenker said Friday

The hearing will be run the same way a regular board meeting runs, with the parents being asked to sign in before they can speak.

“We want the parents in the district to give us their opinions so the board can hear what is on their minds,” Lenker said.

Although both the board’s Auxiliary/Finance and Personnel/Curriculum committees have, in the past, 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 full board approval.

The other options presented at earlier meetings this year 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.

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