New Hanover Co. School Board continuing talks on Williston transition, school staff speak out against it

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — School board members in New Hanover County got an earful from those in the Williston Middle School family.

The board wants to turn the historic school back into a high school.

“We were very surprised indeed we were shocked,” said 2nd grade teacher Laura Butler before the school board Tuesday.

Williston faculty and staff at Tuesday’s School Board Meeting. January 8, 2019 (Andrew James/WWAY)

The Williston Tigers letting out a roar before the New Hanover county school board.

“I think it’s a slap in the face,” said Florence Warren who is an alum of the original high school.

School board members, last week, proposed to reconfigure the middle to high school with a focus on the performing arts. Staff showed board members that the curriculum can range from computer science and web design all the way to dance and painting with courses of theatre and broadcasting in the mix.

“Establishing a school for the performing arts with some of the subjects that we talked about really is something that this community can get behind,” said vice chairman David Wortman. “We hear from parents all around, in that district and in New Hanover County about the need for choice for their students.”

School staff also presented survey findings during the Tuesday meeting. They showed a majority of parents county-wide surveyed were in favor of a performing arts high school.

Williston middle has consistently scored low in the states performance report cards. However, for those vested in the history and current community impact, they do not see this as a solution.

“We would propose that the high school they are looking at would be more geared to poly-tech where students could get the beginnings of a career,” said Warren who also taught at the high school right before it was closed in 1968.

Board members approved continuing the conversation. The 5-1 vote to approved looking at Williston as a performing arts high school came not without clear friction from new members.

“Right now we need to focus on redistricting we started, that they started over a year ago,”  said new member Judy Justice. “I’ll be honest with you. I don’t want to see this done to Williston in this manner. They need a voice.”

Board Vice Chair David Wortman has titled the school changeover as a potential solution to easing the overcrowding issues in county high schools.

“Community input in this really is important,” said Wortman.

The hundreds of students there would have to go somewhere. School board members looked at several proposals to move them all to Holly Shelter, Roland-Grise and Noble Middle.

The proposals also look at one grade or all grades be moved out. These will all be worked out along side middle school redistricting.