Pearl Stephens’ relatives argue for educator’s legacy

WARNER ROBINS -- Family members of Pearl Stephens addressed school board members Monday, expressing concerns about the future of a Houston County school bearing the name of their kin.

Pearl Stephens Elementary School is part of an education sales tax proposal to replace two elementary schools.

The plan is part of the 2012 E-SPLOST residents will vote on Tuesday.

The plan involves a series of construction efforts and student moves that will result in a two-location elementary school setup, much like that of Lake Joy Elementary and Primary.

The building that is currently Pearl Stephens Elementary is set to become the district’s alternative school. It is that plan that has the Stephens family and some community members concerned.

“My grandmother was about progression,” said Jerome Stephens. “She wanted to see all things improve for all students. Pearl Stephens wasn’t about an alternative school.”

Pearl Stephens was a teacher in Houston County in 1949, said Shirlyn Granville, who spoke with various board members during Monday’s work session.

“There was no public education for African-Americans then,” Granville said. “She was so concerned that she gave her personal land to create a school there.”

The Pearl Stephens school has operated as many kinds of schools through the years -- as a high school, alternative school and, most recently, an elementary school.

Granville said she understands that the district needs alternative schools, but she said the name Pearl Stephens shouldn’t have to be used with such schools.

“Her legacy deserves at a minimum to be preserved,” Granville said.

The proposal would be one of the first plans to go into action should voters approve the five-year or $125 million E-SPLOST plan Tuesday.

The first step is to remove the C.B. Watson building that houses the alternative school Crossroads Center and move those students to Rumble Academy, said Jason Daniel, director of facilities for the district. The ninth-grade students at Rumble would be moved to the main Warner Robins High building, which has ample room because of the addition of Veterans High School to the district.

A new elementary school would be built on the Crossroads property, which will house the students from Linwood Elementary. The existing Linwood building would then be renovated. Those two buildings -- the new school on the Crossroads property and the renovated Linwood Elementary -- would house the students from Pearl Stephens and Linwood elementary schools. They will be divided with prekindergarten to second-grade students at the new school and third through fifth grades at the Linwood campus.

Once that move is complete, the alternative school students will be moved to the building that currently holds Pearl Stephens Elementary.

Rumble Academy, with exception of the gymnasium, would be demolished, Daniel said.

Family members and concerned residents in attendance Monday asked that if the Pearl Stephens Elementary School has to be moved, that the name go with the new school.

“We don’t want to go backwards to what it was before -- an alternative school,” Jerome Stephens said.

The board has yet to make a decision on the name of the replacement school, said Beth McLaughlin, spokeswoman for the district. Naming is usually not considered until the building process has begun, and district officials are still waiting to see if the E-SPLOST will be approved by voters.

“The SPLOST vote is (Tuesday), so to be talking about school names, we’d be getting ahead of ourselves,” board Chairman Tom Walmer said.

There are a number of buildings and names within the system that have a long history in the community, including Watson, Rumble, McConnell-Talbert and Stephens, that all must be taken into consideration as well, Walmer said.

The district currently has a policy that schools not be named after individuals. Walmer said the board values the input of those who were at the work session and will take that into consideration at the appropriate time.

“What’s not being talked about is that the kids at the alternative school deserve a quality education, as well,” Walmer said, noting that the C.B. Watson building doesn’t have a kitchen for lunches to be prepared on campus or a gymnasium for physical education classes.

Based on district plans, the new elementary school would not be operational until fall 2013.

To contact writer Caryn Grant, call 256-9751.

This story was originally published November 8, 2011 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Pearl Stephens’ relatives argue for educator’s legacy."