White BOE Looking To Use Central View Property As Community Center

Community members will now have the chance to outline the future use of the Central View School property.

The Board of Education approved a motion Thursday allowing residents to create a committee to start and maintain a community center. Board Member Bob Young said residents have until the end of the year to do so.

“We wanted to give the community a chance to pull together and see if they can come up with some ideas on their own,” Young said. “And try to give them the opportunity to have a say and be active in what actually happens in that facility.”

The property served as an elementary school until being shutdown some three years ago. Young said the initial goal by doing this is to find a use for the building.

“We don’t want it vacant,” Young said. “A vacant building is no good to anybody. We are just thankful we were able to keep things intact the way it is. (…) We want to get it some use.”

The motion passed 6-0 with one abstain from board member Dewayne Howard. During discussion, Howard urged the board to reopen the school. But, Chairman Jayson McDonald said the number of students in the area needs to be reviewed before making a commitment.

“It needs to stay in that community,” McDonald said. “We can’t let it sit vacant, and I think we are on a healthy path right here with Mr. Young’s motion to get that information. It’s not going to happen in six month. It’s not going to happen in eight months, but I think we are on the right path to see if the students are there.”

Young said discussion for other uses in the future could be possible. Young said board members will keep tabs on census numbers and the growth of the community to see if a school would be feasible.

“That’s a big part of the director’s job to keep us informed on that,” Young said. “We have to look at it from across the county and look for population areas where growth is taking place and how it impacts our facilities, our teachers and the services that we provide and Central View will be a part of that.”

Young said the community committee would need to present a plan to the board before the deadline to avoid the property to go to auction. Young said no meetings are planned for the Central View Property Subcommittee, which will stay open until the board decides to close it.