Letter: Questions closing of T.C. Walker Elementary
Printer Friendly View
Editor, Gazette-Journal:
The tornado of April 16, 2011 destroyed Page Middle School. This created several problems. Gloucester County middle school kids need a new school. Currently, they are using rental trailers parked on Gloucester High School’s property. My grandson, who is a student at Page, catches the bus in the dark (6:30 a.m.); eats lunch at 10 a.m. and has to go outside, rain or shine, to change classes.
These are not the best of circumstances, but it seems the only viable option. Somebody please tell me how closing T.C. Walker Elementary School (whose credentials are higher than average compared to other schools in the area) is any kind of option in light of the problems we are currently in the middle of right now. The path of the April 16 tornado was only two-tenths of a mile from T.C. Walker. I think if closing T.C. Walker is such a good idea, God would have taken care of it that day.
If the school board wants to save some money, they could start by saving ink and paper by eliminating the reference to homicide in the student handbook. I’m pretty sure the kids are fully aware they aren’t supposed to kill somebody on school property. That might be just a small step, but it’s one in the right direction and education is all about becoming wiser. Now let’s not move away from our goal by closing an institution that does such a good job of making our children wise citizens.
Joel Emerson
Hayes, Va.
