Winder’s new elementary school will be named for the town.
After several weeks of controversy, the Barrow County Board of Education approved naming the new school on McNeal Road “Winder Elementary” at its meeting Tuesday night.
The board voted 6-2 to name the new school Winder, rejecting a survey taken of families with students who will attend the new school.
The survey tabbed “Cedar Creek Elementary” with 46 votes as the top name. Winder was the third choice with 20 votes while there were 22 for “Berry Elementary”.
The board took two votes on a school name. The first was for Cedar Creek, proposed by Lynn Stevens and Connie Wehunt. Michael Shelley joined those two in voting for Cedar Creek.
Voting against were Mark Still, Rickey Bailey, Rolando Alvarez, Garey Huff Sr. and Suzanne Angle. Debi Krause missed the meeting because of a death in her family.
Alvarez then made a motion to name the new school Winder. Still, Bailey, Huff, Angle and Shelley voted “yes” with him. Stevens and Wehunt voted no.
Bob Dixon, former county school board member, urged the board to name it Winder. He cited the “outstanding” relationship between the board and city. He emphasized the city’s assistance in creating and maintaining the athletic complex at Winder-Barrow High School.
Dixon also said other towns in the county – Statham, Auburn and Bethlehem – have their names on elementary schools.
Wehunt and Stevens said the board should accept the survey conducted of those families who will have children at the school and use Cedar Creek as the name.
“We shouldn’t even put it (the survey) out” if the board is not going to accept the results, Wehunt said.
“As a board we’re going to change it. I have a problem with that. This is why we have governance teams. This is why we’re a charter system,” she said.
Stevens emphasized, as she did at the board’s work session, that the system could not expect parents and other residents to participate if the results are not accepted. She added that Winder is represented in the schools because of the high school, which includes the city name.
“I just can’t see us doing anything but accepting the survey,” Wehunt said.
Still, the chairman of the board, pointed out the survey was non-binding. He said he had heard from some community residents who would liked to have voted, but did not have students that will attend the school.
Huff said he had some concern about the way the survey was conducted. He noted two surveys were conducted. If there is a next time, he said, he would urge the board to stick to the first results it gets.
He said he wondered if the second survey “invalidated” the results of the effort.
Huff also contended, “there’s not much difference” in the way people feel about the school’s name.
Shelley, who voted for both names, called the naming of the school “really important” and urged the board “to remove itself emotionally” before voting.
OTHER BUSINESS
The board also approved several items as part of its consent agenda. Those included:
• the 2017-18 school calendar. Teachers will report for planning days July 26. Students will start class Wednesday, Aug. 2. It requires student attendance for 176 days and teachers work 190 days. It includes weeks off in October, November and April and two weeks and three days for Christmas and New Year’s.
• the purchase of network switches for the new school, paying $53,324.24 to MXN of Woodstock; 17 Epson interactive projectors for Auburn Elementary from Tech Optics of Winder for $32,357.12; and new visual display board for the new school in all classrooms for $37,595.
Seriously, though - what was the point of the survey? A lot of time and energy could've been saved just by naming it Winder Elementary to start out with. I'm OK with that name. Works for me! Now, on to more important things...
you win sir. you win.