Fayetteville's historic E.E. Smith needs a new building — but where is a matter of debate
According to a 2023 Stanford University study, there are roughly 1,000 public school closures each year. Schools are essential community institutions. However, just one in three students in the U.S. attended a new publicschool created during the last three decades. The education landscape today looks very different than it did 30years ago. The old way of preparing students for success won't work in this rapidly changing world.
New school buildings are a necessary component because of the direct impact on student learning and well-being.
Our community is engaged in a passionate discussion about constructing a new E.E. Smith High School facility. The present structure is about 70 years old. Most of the Golden Bull memories are good, but some are not, especially during the turbulent late 1960s when school systems were court-ordered to desegregate.
E.E. Smith legacy survived segregation
After the Supreme Court ruled school segregation unconstitutional in Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, manysouthern states were left with deciding how to combine their Black and white dual school systems into onethat was unified and integrated. Many local school boards approached integration by closing some Black schools and converting Black high schools into junior high, middle and elementary schools.
More: Will E.E. Smith High School move to Fort Liberty site?
More: Cumberland County wants to build two new schools. Here's why.
Fortunately, E.E. Smith, then a Fayetteville City school, now a Cumberland County school, survived any losses and retained their complete legacy.
Should the racial concerns of the past play into the future? I don't think so. Why? Because the school board and staff's racial representation has evolved. Times have changed.
A new school is needed, but where?
E.E. Smith deserves a new school — no argument there. Cumberland County School Supt. Dr. Marvin Connelly,Jr. said: "E.E. Smith High School has a rich history that we deeply respect. Our goal is to construct a 21st-century school on a site that can truly support and build upon the school's legacy, fostering an environmentthat empowers student achievement and success."
We can all agree on what, but we cannot agree on where.
To foster transparency and openness, school officials met with some E.E. Smith national alum members in anopen meeting on Saturday, May 27, 2023.
Present campus size not large enough
Here are some key considerations: The present campus sits on 27 acres. School officials say 70-100 acres areoptimal for constructing a new high school with adequate facilities for 1,600 students.
School officials, at the direction of the Board, sought a new site, considering eight, but after an analysis by engineers hired by the school system, Stryker Golf Course emerged as the only viable site. The boundary for Fort Liberty will be moved so that the Stryker Golf Course area will be outside the gates.
School board members did not unanimously approve the Stryker Golf Course site.
However, Alicia Chisolm in District 1 and who represents the E.E. Smith area, and Jacquelyn Brown, at-large, both African Americans, support the site choice.
The County Board of Commissioners will make the final decision because they represent all the stakeholders, and E.E. Smith is a public school. Hopefully, we all understand this is about a bridge to the future, not a monument to the past.
Troy Williams is a member of The Fayetteville Observer Community Advisory Board. He is a legal analyst and criminal defense investigator. He can be reached at talk2troywilliams@yahoo.com.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Fayetteville E.E. Smith's legacy bumps against practical need for space
