GREENSBORO, N.C. — Guilford County's Board of Education decided the fate of Lindley Elementary Tuesday night.
The board and neighbors spent a lot of time debating whether they should preserve Lindley or start fresh.
WFMY News 2's Nixon Norman was at the meeting and heard both sides of the hot button issue.
The board agreed a complete rebuild would be better for both taxpayers and the people who work and attend Lindley Elementary.
The decision didn't come without some push back. GCS Board of Education member, Michael Logan pushed to keep the front of the elementary school intact. It didn't pass but plenty of people agreed with him.
"Our historic structures mean something. We have examples throughout this city that mean something, the Woolworth building downtown means something to people, we've preserved that. it may not be as consequential of history, but for the folks who attended Lindley, that building means something," Sunset Hills resident, Samuel Cook said.
On the other hand, there were several people pushing for a complete rebuild, saying preservation isn't worth the money it would cost.
"[Rebuilding] allows for the most flexibility in design, to accommodate inclusivity and special needs, transportation, traffic and best use of the current property. The ongoing maintenance cost of preservation limits future improvements as required by the changing needs of our community. We can rebuild a more energy efficient building that everyone can be proud of," Lindley Elementary parent, Amelia Mattocks said.
It is something most all of the board members echoed, that the school is in such disrepair, that it has to be rebuilt to service students better.
"What's more important here? Saving a 100 years that most people, if you're not at least 70- or 80-year-old, you don't even remember the history of the early days of Lindley or providing a place where teachers, students, pre-k, special-ed, we can do things we haven't been able to do for this community before," GCS BOE member, T. Dianne Bellamy Small said.
Surprisingly, it would've been more expensive to renovate the building instead of start from scratch.
The district said a complete rebuild will save taxpayers $17 million dollars. The district said the new school should open in 2027.
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