Spread across several ceremonies held 31 months ago, local county and school officials gathered for ground breaking ceremonies signalling the start of work on much-needed renovations at three area schools.
Franklin, Mountain Park, and Dobson elementary schools were all targeted for the work, with ceremonies then marking the start of work on each facility.
Last week, many of those same local officials gathered to celebrate the end of work at one of the schools, with a ribbon cutting ceremony at Dobson Elementary School.
Many former students and staff members were in attendance, along with Surry County Commissioners Mark Marion and Larry Johnson, school board members Dr. Terri Mosley and Clark Goings, Assistant County Manager Sandy Snow, and those who assisted directly with the renovation project. Officials from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction were also onhand.
The Dobson Elementary school project was years in the making, with much of the work beginning before the 2019 groundbreaking. In 2014, a facility review was conducted Bill Powell, LT Consulting, LCC., looking at needs of all school campuses in the Surry County School system. Afterward he worked with the Board of Education to determine priority order of the work.
Powell placed Franklin Elementary, Mountain Park Elementary, and Dobson Elementary schools at the top of the list. While the Franklin Elementary and Mountain Park Elementary projects finished in the spring, the Dobson Elementary project was delayed until this fall.
Superintendent Travis L. Reeves noted the patience of the school community in his remarks by saying “There has been a lot of planning, scheduling, moving, hard work, and patience put into the renovations and construction here at Dobson. Much of the work occurred during a worldwide pandemic, so I want to extend a special thank you to Principal Sharia Templeton for her leadership throughout this project and all those who have lent their support over the course of this project.”
The ribbon cutting featured remarks from student council members, Templeton, Marion, school board members Dr. Terri Mosley and Clark Goings, and a performance from members of the Surry Central High School chorus.
Templeton recounted her own history at Dobson Elementary and mentioned how “special” the school is.
“I am so proud to be a former Dobson student and now the principal of such a fine school. A school that was founded on the concepts of learning, leading, and collective efficacy long before those were the buzzwords in education. I know what a special place we have here in our community. I believe that those of you in the audience, particularly current and former students and staff in the school, know this as well. I say it often now as the principal and I will believe it forever; there is nothing better than being a Dobson Tiger,” said Templeton, who attended the elementary school from 1983 to 1990.
Freebird McKinney, legislative director of government and community relations for the NC Department of Public Instruction, was also among the speakers. He and Marion, chairman of the Surry County Board of Commissioners, both celebrated the completion of the project in their remarks, heralding the renovation as a win for the children of Surry County. Walter Robbs Callahan & Pierce Architects and Coram Construction were recognized along with the Director of Surry County Plant Operations, Robert Draughn. The Surry County Board of Education and Reeves all reiterated the same sentiment that “we could not have done this without any of you.”
“I think about where we were to where we are now. I think about how fortunate we are to live, learn, and work in Surry County. I think about how fortunate we are that our county commissioners were willing to commit resources to support our school system because they believe in our students and what they will contribute to the future of this county,” Superintendent Reeves said. “Not only were our commissioners making an investment in the physical structures of the school but most importantly an investment in our students and their future. That is what today is all about. It is about the ribbon cutting, which symbolizes a new beginning…a new beginning for students, current and future, and what these facilities will mean for them and their learning opportunities.”
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com
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