A proposal to close T.C. Walker Elementary School drew the most comment last Thursday, as the Gloucester County School Board began its efforts to cope with an expected $3.8 million budget reduction for fiscal year 2013. Closing Walker would save the school division approximately $2.7 million, according to division superintendent Ben Kiser.

The school closure was one of several budget trimming suggestions Kiser introduced during the board’s budget work session held at Walker, but it was clearly the most unexpected and controversial. Named after one of Gloucester’s most well known black natives, the Walker campus has a unique legacy and, in recent years, a reputation for a nurturing staff and outstanding academic performance.

In making the proposal, Kiser described the Walker staff as "a community, a family, with good leadership. That’s why it gets the results it does. Certainly, the results in this building are some of our best. But I think we’re at a point where we can consider this."

Kevin Smith, the board’s only black member, said he would not support closing a school in exchange for the savings. "There’s no way I can see us close a school for $2.7. There’s also a great legacy behind T.C. Walker. I couldn’t personally agree to it, never," Smith said, suggesting the county could cover the $2.7 million shortfall.

Board member Ann Burruss said she understood Smith’s point of view regarding legacy, but said every school in the county has meant something special to a large number of people. She also said, under the proposal, the well-maintained building would no longer function as a school, but would not be torn down. "It’s not just the legacy," Smith responded. "but the staff and the leadership and the job they’ve done. I do not want that to be torn apart."

Several parents agreed with Smith. "It’s really heartbreaking, it really is. The teachers and the staff don’t come any better. I think the school board and the supervisors need to get on a better page here. There’s no better elementary school than T.C. Walker, period," said Elisa Nelson.

"I’m sick," said Lori Drake. "The school with the best scores continuously every year would be taken and torn apart." Parent Mike Reed echoed her sentiment, "This is the best school in the county. You cannot close this down." Reed’s son, Mikey Reed, who left Walker for middle school this fall, told the board he was a good student and got good grades "due to the study habits I learned at this school."

Nicole Joslin, who is new to the county, said she looked at every local elementary school before her son began first grade at Walker in the fall. "My child came in reading below the first grade level. Now he reads at third grade level. My child loves school. He hates weekends, he wants to come to school. I think T.C. Walker has a great thing going."

Under Kiser’s proposal, Walker’s 325 pupils would move to other county elementary schools as part of a county-wide realignment of school attendance zones. The school division’s overall student count has dropped from 6,541 in the 2000-2001 school year to 5,691 this year, and Kiser said an additional loss of 217 children in kindergarten through fifth grade is projected over the next four years, providing ample capacity at the other five county elementary schools.

Walker’s 50 staff members would also be spread to other campuses, replacing the 40 to 50 employees Kiser expects to lose through retirement and resignations prior to the next school year. The School Board will continue its budget work in a special session at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Gloucester High School.

History

Walker Elementary School’s namesake, Thomas Calhoun Walker, was born to slaves but attained an education and became a lawyer by profession. He was a strong advocate of education for all, and was instrumental in establishing the Gloucester Training School to serve the county’s black children in the early 1920s.

A new brick building replaced the small, wood-frame Training School in 1954 and the school was renamed Thomas Calhoun Walker School. That building has remained at the core of the Walker facility. Post-integration, the school became Gloucester Intermediate School in 1968 and in 1975 was reorganized again to become Gloucester Middle School. The Walker name was restored in 1986 when the campus became T.C. Walker Elementary.

Kiser did not suggest an alternative use for the building, saying that was a question for future consideration. "It’s still a viable building," Kiser said, noting it recently had roof work and new casings and windows installed. He said the building would have to be closed for a year for the school division to realize the projected savings in operations and utility costs.

Other cost-cutting measures suggested by Kiser included passing to employees their share of VRS group life insurance costs for a savings of $217,000 and combining the Page Middle School and GHS schedules for a transportation savings of $80,000.