The PILOT COLUMN: Public Montessori School Would Preserve Downtown Gem

BY BENJAMIN GREENE

Special to The Pilot

Oct 27, 2020

Moore County Schools will soon decide whether to hand off the Southern Pines Elementary School campus to another public school or to developers, who will privately profit from this ideal location at the expense of our community.

Moore Montessori Community School is prepared and willing to preserve the campus as a community asset for generations, as an excellent public school and as a community space.

The board of directors at Moore Montessori, a K-4 public charter school in Southern Pines, has made a purchase offer to buy the Southern Pines Elementary School campus on May Street for the appraised value of $1.08 million.

North Carolina’s general statutes provide a pathway for a nonprofit, public charter school such as Moore Montessori, as a steward of public resources, to purchase surplus public property at appraised value through a private sale.

We are nationally recognized for our mission to expand access to Montessori education through an equitable, effective public school model. Since our founding in 2018, Moore Montessori has developed its track record as a trustworthy financial steward of public resources by turning tax dollars into an exceptional public education for a diverse group of children in Moore County. In addition, we have raised over $1 million in federal grants, competitive grants and private donations.

We are at capacity in our current facility and have a long waitlist of families that want a public Montessori education for their children. That’s because our students are thriving and love learning at school, reading growth is strong, and family satisfaction is high.

The Southern Pines Elementary School campus has served the community well for many years, and is an integral part of the charm and distinct character of downtown Southern Pines. It provides the ideal space for Moore Montessori to grow and expand our program: We need this space to open access for publicly funded children to join our school as early as 3- and-4 year-olds when brain development is at a critical stage and to add 7th and 8th grades, so our students can continue to build the solid academic foundations and executive function skills needed to thrive in high school, college and professionally.

This project presents additional benefits to the community: We have committed to providing a space for the Southern Pines chapter of the Boys and Girls Club; we will maintain the large auditorium as space for community events; and we will partner with other government agencies and nonprofits to ensure the space is maintained as an education hub and community asset.

While the buildings on the 11-acre site are old, they are in good condition. We’ve done our homework. Over the past seven months we have had multiple contractors on-site and we have a clear understanding of the work needed to renovate the buildings, which includes upgrades for single-pane windows, repairs to the slate roof, and energy-efficient updates to the electrical system that will reduce ongoing operating costs.

To support our growth, we have a sustainable, fiscally responsible 15-year plan, which projects $25 million in per pupil funding to educate thousands of students.

This campus presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Moore Montessori to set down roots and expand on our mission of providing a unique public education opportunity to Moore County families. The board of directors at Moore Montessori is prepared to be good stewards of this public resource and community asset.

There has been discussion about selling the property to the highest bidder. Such a sale would provide short-sighted gains, depriving the community of this asset and irrevocably changing the character of downtown Southern Pines.

We need the urgent support of the community. Please direct any questions about our school and its future to Katherine Rucker, head of school, or me at (910) 636-1325.

Benjamin Greene, board chair at Moore Montessori Community School, had a 47-year career in public education as a teacher, school administrator and college professor. He served as principal of Pinecrest High School from 1989 to 1999.