Lakeside High School to change name, curriculum

WILMINGTON — Lakeside High School has gone by that name for 20 years. It may not be Lakeside High for much longer, though. The school, which offers alternative pathway, transition, and drop-out recovery programs for students, will change its curriculum layout next year and school officials hope the name will change with it.

Next year it will become a performance learning center as part of a nationwide program. Principal Jerry Oates said, “I wanted a new name to go along with the new program, so kicking around a few ideas and one stood out.”

Mary Mosley is the first name that came to mind for Oates. “I truly was surprised, truly surprised,” Mosley said. She worked in education for almost 50 years. She started the Family and Neighborhoods Institute of North Carolina and serves as the board chair for the after-school program.

Oates said, “She’s very humble but she does tremendous work for this community and working with at-risk students.”

Mosley is dedicated to preparing local students for their futures. “If you’re not educated, if you don’t have at least the high school diploma, doors are not open for you,” she said.

Those ideals are what Principal Oates wants to instill in the new center. It will serve 100 students and aim to prevent high school dropouts. Oates said, “These students will be able to have smaller classrooms, smaller class sizes. They will work with the business community in Wilmington having mentorships and internships that will lead them up to graduation.”

Oates said he can’t think of a better name to be on the building than Mary S. Mosley. Mosley said, “For me to have to ride by a building and see my name, I don’t know what I will, what I will do. But it is an honor.”

The new name proposal went before the school board this week. The board will vote on the name change at its next meeting in April. As of right now this is the only name in the running.