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Wednesday, September 24, 2025
đź•™ Your mid-morning briefing from Dave Andrews in the WSPC newsroom
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🏫 School Board & Commissioners Weigh $80M Projects
The Stanly County School Board and County Commissioners held a joint meeting Monday night to discuss a potential $52 million state needs-based grant. If awarded, the grant could fund construction of a new Oakboro School and additions to West Stanly Middle School.
- To qualify, commissioners must approve a 5% local match.
- Beyond that, the county would still need to find $33 million in additional funding.
School Board Chairwoman Robin Whitaker:
“Our children are going into schools that are older than their grandparents… with leaking roofs, outdated wiring, and overcrowded classrooms. Teachers perform miracles daily, but they can’t fix crumbling walls. This may be the only chance in this generation for a new school.”
Whitaker stressed the need for cooperation:
“It takes both of these boards working together. Don’t do it for politics—do it for the children of Stanly County.”
đź’° Cost of Repairs Raises Concerns
Ashley Dumas of Mosley Architects presented facility studies showing Oakboro School is in poor condition, with $400,000 spent on repairs just last year.
School Board Finance Chair Dustin Lisk responded:
“How much longer are we going to pour resources into a building when we can save taxpayers in the long run by building a new school? We’re following the data to see what’s most cost-effective.”
âť“ Questions from Commissioners
Commissioner Patty Crump asked why a new Oakboro school was needed instead of expanding West Stanly Middle.
Lisk explained that Oakboro would serve a wider area:
“The demographer’s study shows Oakboro would relieve crowding across Stanfield and Locust as well. We’d need capacity for 600–700 students to address the long-term demand.”
Commission Chairman Mike Barbee raised other concerns, and floated the idea of returning to K–8 schools:
“We’ve had more than 9,900 students before, and we made it work. Maybe we should look at K–8s again.”
Superintendent Dr. Jarrod Dennis cautioned against relying on temporary fixes like mobile classrooms:
“That is not an advantageous way to run a school, nor is it a way to retain and recruit teachers.”
🏗️ Ridgecrest Not on the Table
Barbee also questioned whether Ridgecrest could reopen to ease crowding. School Board member Megan Almond made it clear that option was taken off the list:
“Ridgecrest was completely thrown off the table. The facilities committee has consistently said the new school will go in Oakboro, not Ridgecrest.”
She also confirmed that Oakboro would serve K–5 students only, with middle grades shifted elsewhere.
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