S. W. Snowden – A Community School - Target of Politically Expediate Closure? | Eastern NC Now
Key questions that require answers before any decision is made to close the school.
S. W. Snowden – A Community School - Target of Politically Expediate Closure?
By Ray Leary
The hot topic in 2025 around the water coolers in Beaufort County, NC is the potential closing of the S. W. Snowden elementary school in Aurora, NC. What is it that brings this issue to the fore front of discussions?
Is it the low performance scores of the students over the course of the last three years? This cannot be the reason as all school districts in NC and the US have experienced low performance scores as Covid impacted schools across the nation.
Is it related to the lack of state funding from the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to pay teachers? No. Teacher allotments are based upon student ADM (Average Daily Membership) in the local school administrative unit, not individual schools.
Is it because the superintendent is responsible for assigning teachers to individual schools with limited board oversight?
Is it because of the declining Average Daily Membership in the S. W. Snowden Elementary school? Maybe. Teachers are assigned to meet class size restrictions in grades K-3 in elementary schools. Grades 4-12 may have as many students as the principal determines.
Is it the lack of community support in the Aurora and Richlands school district? No. The community support was demonstrated by attendance of 100+ parents and citizens at the forum in September 2024 in support of the school. (see video link below)
Is it the lack of support of the Beaufort County commissioners. Beaufort County commissioners provided approximately $16,000,000 to the school district in the 23-24 school year. No. The school board is responsible for the allocation of funds to all schools in the local school administrative unit.
Is it caused by a decrease in funding by the local school board for maintenance and capital funding? Maybe. This is discretionary by the board utilizing local funds provided by the county commissioners. Withholding funds or allotment of funds is a school board decision based upon priorities determined by the school board and the available funding.
Is it caused by parents seeing the lack of local school board support choosing to send their young children to Pamlico County public or Charter schools? Maybe. If the Beaufort County School board decides a community school does not deserve funding for teachers, maintenance, and capital improvements, they may withhold it from Snowden and then allocate the available funds to other schools. The steady decline in the ADM suggests this is likely one of the reasons. Parents are choosing other schools. Why?
Is it because the state DPI, by state statute, will not provide compensation for a 12-month principal to schools with less than 100 students? The NC Statute can be found in Session Law 2011-145, House Bill 200., Section 7.14.(a).
Is it because the Beaufort County schools’ leadership and the NC state DPI are focusing on and supporting large, consolidated schools as opposed to smaller community schools? This is debatable, but it appears to be the case. One of the criteria for receiving lottery funds for public schools is consolidation of one or more schools in a school district.
Is it because the Beaufort County school superintendent assigns teachers to the Aurora school to encourage them to quit or move to another county? Does he assign teachers to Aurora that requires them to travel one hour or more to get to their job? There is no evidence of this, but it should be considered by the school board. As noted above, the superintendent is responsible for teacher assignments. The history of teacher turnover at Snowden should be reviewed.
Is it because the Beaufort County commissioners will not provide sufficient salary supplements to qualified teachers to encourage them to teach in eastern Beaufort County? Again, this should be considered by the school board and county commissioners.
Is it because Beaufort County is divided by a river separating the more populous north side from the south side? This is an on-going debate considering all services provided to the citizens of Beaufort County, NC residing on the south side of the Pamlico River.
Is it because the leadership of the Beaufort County school board does not value the citizens of Aurora and the Richland Township as the majority in this district are minorities? As divisive as this issue is, it must be considered.
Is it because the district school board representative in District 2 supports closing this school? No, he does not.
Is it because the school principal is not doing everything she can to support the teachers and students? No. Dr. Patricia Horton-Albritton is a very dedicated leader who cares deeply about every student under her care. (See video below)
Is it because the superintendent wants to close a low performing school to increase the average performance scores of the other schools in the school district? This is another debatable issue the school board should consider.
Is the consolidation of the S. W. Snowden school with Chocowinity schools to enhance the resume of the superintendent like the consolidation of Eastern Elementary and John Cotton Tayloe as some have suggested? Will the school board support this?
Is it because two of the school board members are spouses of two Beaufort County commissioners and the superintendent has the support of these four in whatever he wants? This seems to be the case over the last four years.
The possibility of getting assistance from the local legislative representatives should be explored. A local bill could provide financial or other administrative relief for Snowden.
All of these potential causes/reasons must be debated before this community school is closed. The current proposal by the Beaufort County school superintendent and some members of the board are to close Snowden and bus the students to Chocowinity elementary and middle schools. This will require a 1 – 1 ½ hour bus ride each way for elementary students. This may even require elementary students to transfer to other buses to complete the journey to the town of Chocowinity from Southside High School.
This is not just a S. W. Snowden issue. This is an issue for every Beaufort County resident that cares about the education of the youth in this county.
There is a public hearing related to this school closing on April 16, 2025, at the S. W. Snowden school at 6:00 pm. This venue should be packed with county residents that are concerned about public education in Beaufort County and North Carolina.
There was a public meeting held in Aurora on September 5, 2024, to discuss the potential closing of the S. W. Snowden school. There were over 100 parents and citizens in attendance. Principal Dr. Patricia Horton-Albritton and school board member Charles Hickman were there to hear and address the concerns of the attendees. The attendees spoke passionately about the local school and what this school contributed to the community. No other school board members attended. The superintendent did not attend.
The proceedings were videotaped. You can view the video at the link below. The meeting extended beyond two hours.
https://www.beaufortcountynow.com/post/82676/community-rallies-behind-keeping-snowden-open.html
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Rino Hunter said:
( April 13th, 2025 @ 2:22 pm )
"Little Napoleon" Cheeseman is a power bully, but the only reason he has so much power is that we have so many weak people on the School Board. Two members are little more than seat warmers. Two are all talk and no "do". A fifth one is somewhere in between. Those five comprise the majority that lets Cheeseman do whatever he wants. It is Cheeseman's bullying that is the threat to Snowden.
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One more thing for Ray Leary: Thank-you for coming up with the 9 month principle motif, which would reduce the cost to keep Snowden open to 30,000.00 a year.
Hood brought it up at the last commissioners' meeting and I instantly thought it was a genius plan. I do have to wonder why the BCS administration, which includes their school board did not come up with it first. Thanks again Ray Leary for your fine civic awareness. |
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I will be there in Aurora Wednesday night, and yes, it is a fine question as to: "Where our money has gone?"
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The weak Beaufort County School Board cannot understand that Cheeseman is hired help. Students are opting for private schools and homeschooling due to the failure of our public schools. Just like successful companies, it all goes back to management. Ego and passive-aggressive bullying is not management.
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It seems to me that of the 19 or so questions being asked, all except 2 should be seriously considered. Many of us know that even though Dr. Horton drives in from out of town, she is working very hard for the school. Same with board member Hickman who is a resident of the area. He is the only board member that regularly shows up at Snowden School.
Other than that, I guess I'm most aware of question number eight. I do think the community is wondering about the county support of the school when they go long periods of time without a custodian and heating and air conditioning problems in the middle school extending over the course of two school years. In fact, I've heard that Dr. Horton has recently been on her hands and knees scrubbing the hallways of the entire school. I also know that Mr. Hickman has brought some of his own fans for the CTE Lab after these known problems have not been addressed. With the school staff and local volunteers receiving so little support from the county office, parents must be wondering just how committed Beaufort County is to their community. "Target of Politically Expedient Closure?" looks like a real serious possibility. If it was not wouldn't the school system be trying to inspire the confidence of parents instead of doing just the opposite? Then read the WDN front page article of late. Clearly, some of Beaufort County's elected officials are not advocates of community schools. A few of our elected officials do support the community schools. We need to support them. |
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There are two dots that are easy to connect that gives an insight as to what Cheeseman is up to with Snowden and both have to do with school consolidation. Consolidation is Cheeseman's gambit at Snowden and also with the elementary schools in Washington. It would appear that Cheeseman is trying to build a resume item on school consolidation for when he applies to larger and better paying school district for his next career move. He is doing this at the expense of school children here in Beaufort County. He cares more about his resume and his next job.
What is really disturbing is the report that Cheeseman has either been implying or saying directly that if other school board members fail to back him on closing Snowden, he will punish them by removing the better teachers from schools in their districts. I wonder if that is something that would be grounds to fire Cheeseman for cause? Elected school board members should NOT have to put up with a bureaucrat trying to manipulate them like that. |
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Bullet 6 of Mr. Leary's list of grievances brings up a great question that, with the utilization of common sense mathematics, could lead one to conclude that something ain't right with the money.
Could this mean that certain people have been using Snowden as a "front", of sorts, to grab easy money with due to lack of government oversight? I don't know 'bout y'all but I don't think anybody ever thought about a DOGE situation coming into the picture. I ain't crazy about Quantum computers but I'd be interested in getting a readout talking where OUR money has gone. Every man ain't no King, to contradict former used car salesman, Huey Long, and he doesn't have the right all of my money just because I may have it. They've played on public apathy and profited from it. Think about that..... |
