Local Government
Why not dream big in upgrading one of this community’s oldest public school facilities?
In our previous two articles on the March 16th meeting of the Warren County Board of Supervisors we explored, first, permitting requests impacting the future shape, physically and commercially, as well as recreationally of portions of the community; and secondly, an emerging “new normal” in municipal politics that increasingly ties us to the larger world around us as the 21st century moves into its third decade.
Now we will explore a third aspect of that meeting that looked both forward and to the past in urging our county’s elected officials to make proactive decisions to meet the challenges of providing equal treatment, if not under the law, under the banner of the County’s municipal budget directed toward its public education system to assure that all the community’s public-school children are treated by the same physical plant standards.
That challenge came from Public Comments speaker Michael Williams. While tracing his career path including stints in public education, private-school administration among others, Williams introduced himself as appearing before the board most importantly “as a caring member of this community, a husband, and father of a graduate of E. Wilson Morrison Elementary School” (EWM).
Michael Williams, parent of a former EWM student, address the county supervisors on adequate funding for long-overdue physical plant improvements at the 86-year-old school. Royal Examiner Photos by Roger Bianchini
And it was that last category that was the focus of Williams’ comments as they zeroed in on a current hot-button topic, not just in Warren County, but across the nation – equal treatment regardless of social, economic, racial or ethnic categorizations.
“I have had the joy of being a member of this beautiful community for almost 24 years,” Williams began, soon zeroing in on his area of concern, the physical plant at EWM. “As I understand history, the current school that sits where E. Wilson Morrison resides is now over 80 years old (a little research indicates that along with A.S. Rhodes, EWM, the latter then as a high school, was built in 1935, making them 86 years old). The original wooden seats still exist in the current auditorium. An upstairs classroom has been creatively used for several years as a play area for the children when it is too cold to go outside. Due to COVID regulations, this room has not been able to be used this year since it was needed to store extra desks and classroom materials to comply with mitigation procedures. Consequently, when the temperature is below freezing outside, the young people forego their much-needed exercise.”
Williams observed that statistically, the school educates the highest portion of lower economic status and racial and ethnic minority children of any public school in the county system.
“How is this possible in 2021 – How can the poorest children in our community continue to be treated like the poorest children in our community?” he asked the county supervisors, observing, “While other schools receive nice new desks, chairs, and state of the art supplies, the children at E. Wilson Morrison receive hand me downs from other schools. Friends, it’s 2021. For the sake of common decency, please agree that we cannot afford ‘not’ to rectify this.”
He then pointed to the coming Public School Budget proposal. “In that proposal are several items of needed attention to our school system, and our outdated buildings. Two of those line items are a renovation budget for the original 80-year-old auditorium, and a stand-alone building to be constructed on the paved playground area. If you look carefully at the amount requested, it is not nearly enough in my view, but a most conservative and responsible request to help us all live within our means.”
A joint Youth Development Fieldhouse project?
Perhaps drawing on his background in both public and private education, the latter locally at Randolph-Macon Academy, Williams offered an alternate plan for the stand-alone building part of the EWM physical plant proposal. “Personally, I would prefer to see the County, Town, Sheriff’s and Police Departments, Valley Health and Randolph-Macon Academy go in together and build a Youth Development Fieldhouse along West Main Street, where the current football practice field is for R-MA. This is the site where R-MA has wanted to build a field house/natatorium and indoor shooting range for years.”
Williams then pointed to what he said was the availability of state and federal subsidies for such community development projects. “If there were ever an opportunity for these entities to come together and capitalize on the many state and federal grants, Title 9 funds, and who knows what other money Uncle Sam wants to toss our way – to include possible private donors – take it. They are going to give it to somebody. Why not let it be our community, to benefit our most precious resources, while also providing an incredible opportunity to partner with two of our county’s largest employers.”
What’s in a name?
And while he was dreaming BIG, Williams looked to both E. Wilson Morrison and this community’s histories in, perhaps he admitted, jumping ahead of the game before the suggested EWM auditorium and combined public-private school recreational facility have been realized – their naming. As for the EWM auditorium, Williams suggested not looking far, perhaps eight years back, and in house. That suggestion was former EWM Principal Margaret Holmes.
“Finally, while I realize that naming a building seems far ahead right now, I offer this: Margaret Holmes, an African American Woman, served at principal at E. Wilson Morrison for many years. She was my now 19-year-old son’s principal for 5 years. Because of her, and many others, my son is now a student at James Madison University. Please consider working with the School Board to name the renovated auditorium in her honor … Mrs. Holmes so much wanted to see that auditorium fixed to show the children in our community – and the staff that worked there – that they truly mattered,” Williams said, observing that since her departure the school has had six principals in seven years.
For his proposed jointly developed Youth Development Fieldhouse facility, Williams went back a bit further in our collective local educational history, to the battle to desegregate Warren County Public Schools and the role of the Kilby family in that battle.
“As far as the new building, in the audience this evening is a family that truly shed physical blood, sweat and tears to ensure that all of us, especially those whose lives were shattered and continue to struggle due to the long-term effects of racism in our country (be educated equally). Again, while I realize that it is early in the process, I plead with you to do your part in helping to heal these wounds by honoring the many sacrifices of the Kilby family, by working with the School Board to name the new building after this beautiful family, with a fitting memorial of honor in the front of the building. I’ll, personally, pay for the memorial if granted,” Williams asserted.
An equal ‘heritage’ opportunity
He closed with a vision and a challenge to the county supervisors.
“What better place, than in the center of our town, to show our children, and community that we ARE moving forward as a community in a genuine and substantive manner, than to honor the family that challenged us all to see one another for the content of our character, as opposed to the color of our skin. Let us truly do unto others as we would have them do unto us. Let us, truly, love our neighbor as ourselves. The opportunities here are endless.
“Finally, I beg you as my neighbors and my friends, please be the change which many of you on the dais have stated that you wish to see in our beautiful community.”
Williams, who left his role as a lay minister of the Anglican Church out of his introductory background profile, had quite the ministerial head of steam up by the conclusion of his remarks.
Just two blocks away on Crescent St., above E. Wilson Morrison Elementary School, which once in its 86-year history was the county high school, and below, the Warren County Courthouse, the latter with its memorial to county citizens who fought in the Civil War at far right. Could EWM physical plant improvements help expand the county’s acknowledgment of the scope of its collective heritage? At least one citizen believes so.
So, Williams has offered this community a positive path forward in acknowledgment of this community’s heritage, rather than “cancellation” of another aspect troubling to some while important to others. That existing “Southern Heritage” symbol of recent debate is the Confederate Soldier Memorial on the county courthouse lawn, just two block down Crescent Street from E. Wilson Morrison Elementary School. The county supervisors appear to have elected to follow the majority will expressed in a referendum on the issue on the November election ballot to keep the 110-year-old memorial to county citizens who fought in the Civil War in its place of honor.
And supporters of the statue have pointed out, why not? Few, if any, of those memorialized owned slaves or appear to have left any written record in support of the institution of slavery. Rather, they are memorialized for their sacrifice in going to war, many likely by way of being drafted, for what they considered their primary national allegiance of that pre-motorized mass-transit and pre-electronic mass-media era, the state in which they lived.
So, why not, Williams has reasoned, add public acknowledgement of the Kilby family’s and Margaret Holmes’ contributions to this community’s heritage in the struggle to achieve true equality for all under the law and in public education, to exist on equal footing with the community’s Southern Heritage?
Are we collectively and electorally up to it? Stay tuned as this aspect of the County’s FY-2022 Budget process continues to develop.
