Board votes to move forward with sale of Marion Elementary
- Chuck Thompson
- 6 days ago
- 13 min read
By Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent
Editor’s note: Read carefully. This is only a report of what transpired during the meeting and not to sway anyone to agree or disagree, but to present you with the facts and let you decide for yourself. Ultimately, it was stated that the money isn’t there to fund the school with staff and other needs. Below, you will read a summary of what was said by board members and public speakers; and the assessment of data presented Tuesday evening. The Shelby Independent apologizes for not including everyone’s comments, but if we did – it would be as long as a novel. Here’s the summary:
Before the comments, before the anger and disappointment, before the plea for understanding the reasoning, and the actual vote, there was a presentation of data from a study. This was not only meant for the board but meant for the public, too, to get a better understanding of why Marion is to be sold and to clarify any misunderstandings of current student enrollment numbers. Otherwise, to quell any rumors of overcapacity at the Shelby district schools.
The presentation of a facility assessment of the Shelby district was presented by Dr. Wampler to the Cleveland County School Board Tuesday night during a special call to meeting regarding the sale of Marion Elementary property. The assessment, conducted by McMillan, Pazdan and Smith, collected data on the schools within the Shelby district, presenting the conclusion: a new school is not needed.
The factors to determine this result were class size, capacity for each school, growth within the district and the assessment of the condition of the Marion Elementary property.
The data presented showed enrollment at James Love, Jefferson, and Elizabeth Elementary Schools, along with utility costs at the previous schools plus Graham, Marion, Shelby Middle and Shelby High.
While some residents have been concerned that the schools were 10% over capacity, the findings reported in the presentation by McMillan, Pazdan and Smith concluded that none of the three elementary schools were even within 10% of full capacity.
According to the data presented Tuesday night, James Love is at 84.90% full capacity, with 66 seats available for transfer students during the current 25-26 school year; Jefferson has the lowest rate with 78.92% full capacity with 117 seats available; and Elizabeth Elementary current is little over 85% full with 114 seats available.
But even with Marion School empty, the data showed it costs CCS $12,822 to run the utilities during the school year even with the lights off and nobody there. The most expensive school to operate, by utilities alone, is Shelby High School, at a cost of $289,234 or $365.19 per student.
The McMillan, Pazdan and Smith data concluded that even with the space available at the other elementary schools, and the cost for Marion to sit there idle, wasn’t the whole reason to discard the beloved old school; it has plenty of problems.
The assessment stated that the Marion Elementary facility assessment gave the property an overall rating of 2, meaning it's in poor condition.
Health Safety & Security was rated 1 (Critical condition); accessibility issues for students with disabilities was bad due to multi-story buildings and only one elevator; vehicle circulation issues; water drainage issues in courtyard where pedestrian traffic connects to gym and issues at play area as the parking lot drains towards track; canopies showing signs of rust; roof nearing end of useful life, with moisture damage to ceilings due to possible roof leak; damaged cast stone window sills need to be replaced and mechanical, electrical and plumbing was rated as poor condition.
The presentation of the data collected by McMillan, Pazdan and Smith concluded that it is more cost effective to sell Marion and there is currently no need for additional elementary schools, even with new housing being built in the area.
CCS Board member Danny Blanton wanted to know if the schools are below capacity, “Why did we spend money to rent a mobile unit (at Jefferson)?” and after a few seconds of silence there was applause from many in the audience.
At that time, Superintendent of CCS, Dr. Stephen Fisher, approached the podium to explain the capacity was made to allow space for any transfers so there would be room for new students during the school years. Also, he added that there is no room in the budget to hire any new teachers because, “We are exceeding what the state gives us.” Fisher explained the state provides funding based on the number of students. State law only allows for so many teachers per number of students.
“Yes, we could close a class to be at capacity and still have empty seats,” said Dr. Fisher, noting to go the opposite direction and make smaller classes would require hiring more teachers – something CCS does not have the ability to do at this time.
Dr. Fisher then moved on to discuss the mobile unit at Jefferson, mentioned by Blanton. He said when the board voted to close Marion in 2021 Jefferson was being managed in a different way than it is now, and placed the mobile unit there for safety capacity. “Every day, twice a day, we had classes of students going to and from the cafeteria, going through an open area through an unrestricted lobby and that created a large safety concern on our end.” Fisher continued stating by taking some instructional space for safety reasons, they needed additional classroom space.
Dr. Fisher paused his explanation to ask Blanton if he was paying attention because he looked distracted, looking elsewhere.
“I’m waiting,” Blanton responded.
Dr. Fisher said it was the teacher coming out in him, making sure everyone was listening.
“We’re able to give Jefferson extra classrooms, extra restrooms and really create a safer environment,” Dr. Fisher said, adding that it was still a cheaper option than what it cost to operate Marion every day.
The sparring between Dr. Fisher and Blanton politely escalated when Blanton suggested maybe the school system should have taken better care of the maintenance of Marion or else it wouldn’t be in such bad shape.
Dr. Fisher responded “So, you’re telling me a 75-year-old building doesn’t need a new roof? You don’t want any locally paid teachers?”
Blanton threw up his hands and interrupted, “Hold on – you didn’t let me finish!”
Chairman Joel Shores asked Blanton what his question was for Dr. Fisher, trying to deescalate the argument.
“My question was, then we should have planned for more teachers and then the state could have paid for them, and we wouldn’t have to take them out of local funds,” Blanton added.
Shores noted that Blanton was making a statement and wanted him to ask a question, or allow time for someone else on the board to ask questions.
“My question is… not putting mobile units and keeping that school and opening it up, because we transferred teachers from Marion to other schools, principals and everything, school lunchroom workers and everything. Because the difference is the utility bills we’re talking about.”
“Again—” asked Shores, “What is your question?”
“I guess I got it explained – as well as I can,” Blanton shrugged, leaning back in his chair.
“We can’t have more state paid teachers,” added Dr. Fisher, as he tried to answer the statement as a question. “If we could do that we would never have to pay for a local teacher, and have class sizes of 10 (students) all across the district.”
He continued, “We’re maximizing our state dollars for teachers, so there’ no more applying for state (paid) teachers.”
After some other brief discussion, Blanton said he had another question.
“I have noticed a lot of things, like on the roof and stuff. They (MPS) put out prices, and those prices are not even in the ballpark for what we're getting bids for right now. And, I was told that was an opinion – well, this building (being) no good, that’s an opinion, too.”
“What is your question?” Shores asked quietly.
“What is my question?” Blanton responded. “Well, if you’re going to put a question mark on everything I say, then my question is, we’re going on their opinion of why we’re shutting this building down, when all those numbers (the data) weren’t even in the ballpark.”
Shores patience was obviously thin as he held his demeanor together and calmly reiterated this is a time for questions – not statements, which could be made at the end of the meeting.
To play fair here, and state the facts for those reading this, it is important to go back a few years and mention that Marion had already been closed for several years. The board was not there Tuesday night (or on Oct. 7) to discuss closing or reopening Marion Elementary, but to decide whether or not to sell the property to a nonprofit group called One More One Less.
• January 10, 2022 – McMillan, Pazdan and Smith (MPS) presented to the Board a recommendation to reorganize the Shelby attendance zone.
• January 25, 2022 - Public Hearing on the closing of Marion & Graham elementary schools.
• February 14, 2022 - Board votes and approves moving forward with Shelby zone reorganization plan for start of 2022-2023 school year.
• April 17, 2023 - Board votes and approves to declare surplus the property of Graham & Marion elementary schools.
• September 2024 - County Commissioners voted in their regular meeting to take the Graham property & notified CCS that they did not want the Marion property.
• October 7, 2025 - Board has Special Called Meeting to hear from One More, One Less regarding interest in Marion property and allow for public comment.
• October 21, 2025 - Board has Special Called Meeting to discuss Marion property and allow for public comment before deciding on sale of property.
Next, came the public comments, where one after another came forward to state their pleas and disappointment at the thought of selling the Marion school property; many living in the neighborhood – some worrying what this might do to their property value.
In all, 15 of the 16 people signed up to speak during the public comments, making their opinion known. Most against the closing of the school, which happened before the 2022-2023 school year, some wishing it could be kept with the mislead hope it might be reopened one day, while a few spoke in favor of the decision made by the school board, and one said he knew, regardless of the outcome, that he hoped the board would do whatever is best for the students of Cleveland County schools. (Those interested, can watch the YouTube video of the meeting here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSyRAd3Pnmg it is roughly 1 hour 52 minutes long).
Some speaking during the public comments stated they bought homes in the Marion School area because of the school, while also said private school would be an option if needed. Others spoke fondly of their own time at Marion, sad to see it turn a chapter and molded into something else. Others worried what would happen once the current buyer decided to sell it, concerned for the outcome of the neighborhood.
Many of those in attendance that spoke Tuesday night did not know that the meeting was in regards to selling the Marion building and thought it was a discussion about whether to sell or reopen the school.
After the public comments, Blanton again stated that a school will be needed years from now and that there is only so much space available at the current schools to build additions. He once again spoke out, letting his opinion be stated for the record that he was against getting rid of Marion. He stated there were too many houses being built and the roads would be congested at the elementary schools.
Board member Walter Spurling spoke out about how the old Belwood school closed and upset people at the time, but it was repurposed and turned into a community center. He also pointed out that when emotions are high, the number of students at a school or the budget doesn’t matter when emotions take over.
“I understand emotions are high,” said Spurling. “I want to apologize from the bottom of my heart to everybody that walked up to that microphone and thought we were going to reopen Marion.” He further explained it was decided years ago. “That’s gone.”
One person in attendance began yelling out, the gavel had to be struck to regain order for the meeting.
Spurling continued, “At this point, the decision isn’t whether to open Marion, or not – the choice is, do we want to sell to a group that does good work in the community – or, do we try to do more surveys?”
Spurling made the case that it was best to sell it to this group rather than go to auction because then anybody can buy it, “And then they can do whatever they want to according to the zoning laws.”
Board member Ronnie Grigg spoke next, talking about the highway (bypass) and home building. “My neighborhood has turned into nothing but a driveway for everyone who's tired of the people on the highway.”
He said homes being built are three- and four-bedroom houses, which means possibly there will be multiple children in homes. “Why would they build three- and four-bedroom houses, unless they plan on selling to families.” He further added that you get the same education whether you learn in a new school or an old school and expressed his concern for current local tax dollars.
Board member Kenneth Ledford spoke out against selling Marion. He stated how Casar Elementary just celebrated 100 years, adding, he supports the organization wanting to buy the Marion property, but is against this proposal.
“When I ran for the board of education I’m running for the school children of Cleveland County. I don’t care what school they’re in, I’m going to do my best…. I cannot see eliminating property we’ve got that is solely paid for to anybody, just to get rid of it.” Ledford suggested finding money to renovate Marion school.
There's only one problem – there is no money.
Board member Gloria Sherman thanked everyone for coming out, all those that spoke during public comments, and One More one Less organization.
Shores cleared his throat and spoke. “You might not like me after we leave here, but please listen to my logic of what I have to say,” he pleaded. “I hope you will listen to what I have to say…”
Shores talked about MPS and their credentials. How they came highly recommended. He said he was on the board when they voted to close Marion, and looked back at his notes to why he decided to vote yes to close Marion.
He read from data points, stating that young people between the ages of 18-24 are leaving and not moving back. The net migration had a negative outlook.
“The median population age will increase from 42 years of age, to 43 by 2030,” Shores said.
Primary factors to cause decrease in enrollment are empty-nesters with a flat rate migration because of the price of homes, the older population can afford the cost more than the younger crowd, who wants to move elsewhere.
“When I read that I remembered why I voted the way I did,” Shores noted.
Shores explained that he does care about what will happen to the Marion school neighborhood. Stating they will go into closed session and discuss selling it to Preservation North Carolina who will then sell it to One More One Less, with stipulations.
“It will stay that way and can never change. One More One Less can never sell it,” Shores stated. “I like that because that means it doesn’t get demolished.”
Shores continued, “Five years from now, if this study is correct, and we have to go to the open-bid process, we sell it to the highest bidder – that’s it, and I don’t know what’s coming. And if they’re right (MPS) and they usually are. They said we would lose 125 kids and we’ve lost 162.”
Shores then redirected to a more concrete and hard-hitting truth that brought complete silence across the audience.
“In the 2022-23 school year, inflation hit us hard,” he explained, mentioning the school system had to figure out how to conserve toilet paper. CCS needed $1,000,000 at the time just to get through the year even after eliminating 97 positions across CCS.
“Our budget had been depleted,” he explained, having to ask the Cleveland County Commissioners for one million dollars just to keep going.
But the most jarring part of his explanation was the cost of turning the lights back on full time. Teachers would have to fill the classrooms, teacher assistants, custodians and cafeteria workers would all have to be paid somehow by a school district that had to borrow one million dollars and conserve toilet paper.
“We do not have tax authority, none whatsoever,” he said. “I appreciate the county giving us another million dollars over the past couple of years, but if we opened that school tomorrow – we don’t have the money…”
He agreed he doesn’t like mobile classroom units. He prefers brick and mortar, however, CCS needs $129,000,000 to fix everything that needs attention, and they don’t have it.
“If you don’t have the money, you don’t have the money,” said Shores. He also stated that roughly 20% of students in Cleveland County are homeschooled or in private schools.
A few in the audience yelled, “Make them come back!” and “Bring them back!”
“We could vote to open up the school tomorrow, but we can't hire teachers,” he said somberly. “If someone can tell me how to figure that out I’ll open it tomorrow.”
He reminded the residents in attendance, again, stating “We need 129 million now… I just wanted you to hear my logic. I’m trying to salvage the community from ending up, five or ten years from now, ending up with something they don’t want in their community.”
They proceeded to go into a closed session before returning to vote a little while later.
When they returned, the vote was announced 5-4 to enter negotiations over the next 180 days to sell the Marion property to one More one Less. Bridges, Humphries, Sherman, Shores and Spurling and voted for. Blanton, Fisher Grigg and Ledford voted against.
After the vote, Humphries and Spurling explained their decision as what they felt was best for the children and the Marion community. Both stated in their own way that it wasn’t easy, but financially and through common sense it was the only option they could see that made sense.
Shores picked up where he left off before going into closed session, stating that some people said they felt mislead, but that if anyone were to go back and watch previous videos of meetings, such as the Oct. 7 meeting, it is never stated that reopening was an option. It was merely regarding whether or not to sell the property to One More One Less, or not.
He also mentioned that this procedure could have been done without public input, but wanted to include the public, with it never meant to be misleading because it was stated clearly what this special meeting intended.
“To say people here were mislead is incorrect. People here at the (previous special) meeting know exactly what was said. There was nothing that I said that was misleading… that bothers me that the public feels misled.”
Shores read the resolution to go into negotiations, with it including a brief history that the property had been offered to the county government and they were not interested. It will now go into negotiations with One More One Less over the next 180 days.
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Chuck Thompson is a reporter and columnist for The Shelby Independent.
