Central View Residents Say Reopening School Best Option For Community

Residents in White County’s Central View community want their school reopened.

The future of the school property has been a subject of discussion throughout the fall. Resident Stephen Melton said the now vacant school was once the center of the community.

“I think the only other option really is to open it back up as a school,” Melton said. “Because as you see going up both ways of Old Kentucky here, they are just adding more and more houses in. They split the school up, and it’s just a matter of time before Cassville and Doyle Elementary get over packed.”

Future use of the building was revisited by the White County School Board this year. A subcommittee made of board members and resident representation suggested five options last week: a school, a resident ran community center, a recreational facility, leasing or demolition.

Resident Alvin Tindell said he thinks the community got a bad deal when the school closed in 2018.

“It became a landmark,” Tindell said. “They held elections down here and stuff like that, and I don’t think it is right for a school board to take a place away from the community.”

Residents Quinn Templeton, Jane Wilson and Flavy Miller all shared the same viewpoint and want the school to reopen. As for other uses such as a community center, it was a mixed bag of opinions.