As a resident of Faith and a strong supporter of community schools, I am very concerned about the status of the school building and land on which it sits. This school was built by members of the community. It was a source of pride and an opportunity for many children.

I realize that times change; the institutions that we love must change also. However, not all changes are in the best interest of the most people. Asking Faith school children to be dispersed to four different schools and a number of children from Koontz to be uprooted and sent to other schools is not an acceptable change.

These actions brought about a plan for a charter school. You see, people in most communities value the close-knit feelings of a community school.
As the school board knows Faith has for 75 years hosted the largest Fourth of July celebration in the state. We are proud of the patriotism of our small town. The celebration has also gained national attention. In order to continue, we need the land to use during the Fourth of July week and the day itself. We have been assured by each principal that the use of the land could continue. However, the final decision did not reside with any principal.

The charter school is moving along. The school building itself is familiar to many children who have applied. Sometimes, the plans laid out in meetings and on paper lose their luster when the Rowan-Salisbury Schools Board of Education realizes how they affect the people they are called to serve.

I am asking the Rowan-Salisbury Schools Board to do the right thing, follow the precedent set by the board itself for other closed schools and allow Faith school to be used for a charter school.

The people it serves are the ones with no voice at a meeting — our children.

— Daisy Bost

Faith