STOKES COUNTY, N.C. — Stokes County Schools met Monday night to discuss plans to close three schools in its district, according to officials.
School leaders said Lawsonville and Pine Hall Elementary will close at the end of the 2023-2024 school year while Pinnacle Elementary will close once a new elementary school is built — King Elementary (est 2030).
Meadowbrook Academy is moving to Lawsonville Elementary School at the end of the school year as well.
Where will the students go?
The school district said around 50% of Lawsonville Elementary students will go to Nancy Reynolds Elementary while the other half will go to Sandy Ridge Elementary.
Pine Hall Elementary students will relocate to London Elementary.
Stokes County Schools said they are working to renovate Sandy Ridge Elementary and develop staffing plans, and busing while drawing specific attendance lines.
They also said they will renovate Lawsonville Elementary to accommodate Meadowbrook Academy.
Why the closure?
Earlier this year, we reported that the school board received an ultimatum from the county —close schools or lose more funding.
The district said it took nearly $3 million in budget cuts this year.
Poor conditions were listed as one of the reasons for closures.
Pictures inside Pinnacle and Pine Hall Elementary, highlight issues like exposed pipes, mounted lights, and no fire alarms. (See the PDF below for pictures)
A school report found two of the schools will soon need drastic overhauls to safely operate.
The school district also said that elementary schools are nowhere close to operating near capacity, and reassigning students wouldn't overburden teachers.
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