By Jeanie Groh

jeanie.groh@salisburypost.com

After nearly 25 years of discussion, the Rowan-Salisbury School System has broken ground on its new administrative home.

The Wallace Educational Forum will be the district’s first consolidated central office since the Rowan County School System and Salisbury City Schools merged in 1989.

“We are not celebrating a building, an idea or location. We are celebrating a much anticipated solution,” said Chairman of the Board of Education Josh Wagner, during his remarks at the groundbreaking ceremony Saturday afternoon.

He explained that the school system’s administrative staff is currently spread among multiple outdated facilities, which cost $250,000 to operate and maintain each year.

The new central office will save time, travel costs between the facilities and help consolidate costs.

“This solution allows our school system to focus its efforts more on our teachers, our parents, our students and a multitude of other capital and operational needs,” said Wagner.

“It’s the first gateway that our new recruits and visitors will have,” added Superintendent Dr. Lynn Moody

The central office will be a morale booster, Wagner added.

“I believe that morale will be boosted because we, along with our county commissioners, have created a system free from a debate on consolidation,” he said. “Today we can finally say, “No more.’ No more plans, no more proposals, no more searching and no more arguing.”

Wagner also recognized the donors who made the central office project feasible – The Blanche and Julian Robertson Foundation, Lee and Mona Wallace, the city of Salisbury, Fred and Alice Stanback and Clay Lindsay. These groups, families and individuals donated almost $2 million to the project.

Moody said she is thankful for the “people who were willing to roll up their sleeves – public and private partnerships.”

“Many of the role models of my life have been my teachers,” Mona Wallace said, explaining why she had such a passion to make the central office construction a priority.

She added that she believes that under Moody, the school system is on the right track and can become one of the best districts in the state over the next five years.

Wallace also said she hopes the office’s construction is the start of a closer relationship between Salisbury and Rowan County.

Former chairman and current member of the Board of Education Dr. Richard Miller has been recognized as a champion for building the central office since he was first elected to the board.

“The building is a symbol of a new beginning,” Miller said. “I’m ecstatic. I think it’s a good day for the community.”

Wagner reminded those in attendance that “the work is just beginning. We must band together as we search for the next solution. We must not only find that next solution, but we must work diligently to see it executed.”