Virginia
Old elementary properties are returned to the county by the Franklin County School Board

Rocky Mount, Virginia – Due to a lack of money, the Franklin County School Board decided in February of last year to close Henry Elementary School and Burnt Chimney Elementary School. The board formally returned the sites to the county on Monday night, almost a year after the vote to close the two schools.
The school board voted 6-1 to return the two former elementary school properties to the county, giving the Franklin County Board of Supervisors control over their destiny.
It returns to the Board of Supervisors in the County. Therefore, they will now determine the county’s needs and what they might be able to use them for,” stated Arlet Greer, a member of the school board.
Greer attended Franklin County Schools as a child. She noted that although it was heartbreaking, the vote to close the schools last year had to be made.
“I didn’t think we should close them,” I had stated just before the vote, but I later spoke with some social workers and officials at one of the schools. They asked whether I could guarantee that they will be open in two years, but I was unable to do so. At that point, I concluded that they simply couldn’t endure the worry of whether they would remain open after that year if I couldn’t achieve it for them,” Greer said.
According to Greer, the schools have maintained a unique position in the neighborhood over time.
“My husband attended Burnt Chimney, and the school serves as a community center, bringing people together in a way. It felt like a family being split apart, which is why it was so difficult for me at first,” she explained.
The school board asked that any proceeds from future leasing or sales of the sites be put into a special fund to be utilized for school construction or renovation in both of the resolutions it passed releasing the properties to the county.
Greer explained what she believed could be done with the ancient schools.
Perhaps a communal building, particularly for Henry, although that’s just a theory. Given that Burnt Chimney is a sizable school, it may likely be utilized for a variety of purposes, she stated.
According to Greer, the county has not yet held any official talks regarding the future use of the assets.
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