School changes stir angst: ‘Where are they gonna go?’

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - There will be two more meetings this week for parents to learn about plans to consolidate some schools, close others and even build some new ones across Augusta.

It’s a complicated plan spread out over several years, but Richmond County School System leaders say it’s needed because the district has more schools than it needs, with the school-age population declining.

The potential changes have some people unsure about the future.

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Brandon Adams went to Gracewood Elementary and graduated from Cross Creek High School. He is expecting a child and wants his child to experience the same things he did in the Richmond County School System.

Adams said: “My first instinct was alright, well, I wanted my kid to go to Gracewood. Now where are they gonna go?”

The answer depends.

The Richmond County Board of Education is considering three factors in the possible plans:

Diverse and robust program offerings.
Low operating costs.
Small school sizes.

Adams said: “It’s kind of silly to get rid of a part of history, if you asked me, especially on the basis of touching historic schools like Gracewood, C.T. Walker, it just doesn’t make sense.”

The plan recommends combining Tutt and Langford middle schools at a newly built Langford Middle School.

“I feel like giving more funding to certain programs of that nature will definitely help enrich a kid’s life,” Adams said. “I definitely would like to see them enrich the fine arts a little more and enrich other curriculum like computer sciences, because that’s where we’re going in this day and age at this point.”

“My concern is what’s going to happen with the ratio? What’s the size? What’s the classroom size? Will they have the paraprofessionals in there with them to team up with them? I’m really worried about that,” said Shalanta Write, parent.

Parents are worried about the number of kids at the school not only because of education but also for safety.

LAST MEETINGS:

March 11 at 6 p.m. at Belair Middle School: Impacts Belair K-8, Copeland Elementary, Reynolds Elementary, Belair Middle School, and Langford Middle School.
March 12 at 3 p.m. at the Richmond County Board of Education Central Office boardroom auditorium: An overview of all schools

Deandria Deboskie is also a parent.

She said: “My concern is to merge. However, after talking with my daughter, who’s currently at Langford ... it’s safety. I also have a younger son who will be a rising sixth grader next year, who I’m much more concerned about, because he pointed out as well, that I think everybody knows about the bickering between the two schools. So they both have made it a point to me and said Mom, what are they going to do about it?”

Her daughter, who goes to Langford, says she already sees a lot of fights at school and doesn’t think the combination of both schools will help that problem.

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To see how your kids would be affected, visit https://tinyurl.com/3j74k4e2.

D’Asia Moore is a student at Langford. She said, “Educational-wise, it might be a good idea, but like behavior-wise probably not. I think a lot of fights is gonna break out and affect the education of others.”

But as meetings about combining schools continue, more questions come up that parents hope to get answered.

Shalanta Wright said: “What’s going to be the classroom climate? You know, how are the students going to feel? Are the teachers going to feel safe? Are we going to have mental health days? You know, are we going to talk about bullying? So many concerns. So many.”

There will be another meeting Thursday night at Richmond Hill K-8 about that school, Tobacco Road and Wheeless Elementary.

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