Monday evening in Dobson the Surry County Board of Commissioners met for the first time since their board planning retreat in Mount Airy last month. A complete summary of their meeting will follow, but it remains the topic of J. J. Jones High School that is of such keen interest to so many in Surry County.
The wait may soon be over, because the county’s Save Jones School proposal advanced unanimously Monday from the county commissioners.
County Manager Chris Knopf, with consultation from County Attorney Ed Woltz, offered the county’s proposal in response to the presentation made by the African American Historical & Genealogical Society of Surry County at the board retreat.
In short, a roadmap has been laid out for the county to transfer J. J. Jones School over to the AAHGS this year. The county will build in a maintenance allowance through 2025, and the AAHGS will retain the current lease agreements as they stand.
Representatives of the group called the undertaking of getting their proposal to the board together a “herculean task.” From the invitation to make a formal presentation to the commissioners to their delivery of that proposal was a matter of weeks.
While this is not the definitive and final answer on the matter, the commissioners gave their approval to and sent back to the AAHGS the county’s proposal for their consideration. It was made clear that the board did not want, nor was seeking, an answer from the save Jones group at that moment.
Rather, now the board wants the group to look over the county proposal and give it hard thought. Chairman Bill Goins spoke with a level of earnestness as he laid out what taking ownership of the building would mean and briefly addressed some of the points of concern he sees going forward.
It is a victory for those who have been fighting for and dreaming about saving a piece of their shared history. Where all this winds up by Spring’s end is still in the air, but now with a proposal in hand, the Black community has the power to decide.
A complete breakdown of the successful passage of the county’s Save Jones School proposal will follow in Wednesday’s Mount Airy News.
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com
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