Rowan-Salisbury officials recommend plan to reshape district, close schools

ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. — Rowan-Salisbury Schools laid out recommendations Monday evening that could reshape the entire district, including closing a dozen schools.

[Click here to learn more about the plan]

It's a three-tier plan that would cost nearly $250 million just for the first two tiers alone.

The plan would close 12 of the 35 schools in the district and build five new schools while adding classrooms at others.

Those schools include Overton Elementary School, Koontz Elementary School, Faith Elementary School, Rockwell Elementary School, Granite Quarry Elementary School, Enochville China Grove Elementary School, Landis Elementary School, Knox Middle School, Corriher-Lipe Middle School and China Grove Middle School.

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Students would then be consolidated and redistricted.

Officials said this would help to deal with declining enrollment and older buildings. In just the past four years, officials said enrollment has dropped by 6.3 percent.

"We got empty classrooms we don't use,” student Aniya Lucas said.

About 60 percent of the schools in the county are also over 50 years old.

Next month, leaders will close aging Cleveland and Woodleaf elementary schools and combine them in a new building.

The school system said a committee has been working for the last year to come up with this plan for the future of the district.

Some parents told Channel 9 they don't want their children to have to move schools.

"No I don't want them to move," Amy Michel, who has students at North Rowan High School said. " I want them to stay here. It's the best school in Rowan County."

There are a series of meetings coming up where parents can weigh in.

Community input sessions:

Salisbury Community