Kenneth Keith walked up to the speaker’s podium on Monday donning a bright red-and-white varsity jacket with “1969 East Arcadia Alum” embroidered on the front.
Keith had a message for the Bladen County school board during a public hearing on a proposal to close East Arcadia School: Please don’t close East Arcadia School.
“If you delay it, you can listen to what other people have to say and look at some other plans here,” he said. “You can reinvest in the school.”
The school district is considering closing East Arcadia School in June and sending the school’s 58 students in kindergarten through fifth grade to Clarkton School of Discovery 20 miles away. Officials say the move would save money and allow students to attend school in a less isolated part of the county.
But East Arcadia School has deep roots in southern Bladen. It began as a Rosenwald School for Black students during segregation in the late 1920s. Local Black families reportedly donated $1,000 to the school so children could receive an education.
When Bladen schools integrated in the late 1960s and early 1970s—more than a decade after the Brown v. Board of Board of Education Supreme Court ruling—East Arcadia School continued to serve the predominantly Black community.
Today, about 88% of East Arcadia’s 418 residents are Black. Roughly 56% of students at East Arcadia School are Black, 21% are Hispanic, and 7% are Native American.
Monday’s meeting, which drew about 100 people to the school, was the third public hearing about the proposed closure. The school board could vote on the proposal as soon as March 9.
Like Keith, other speakers said the school is a crucial part of the East Arcadia community.
Report: Black Schools More Likely to Close
If East Arcadia School is shuttered, it will mark the third school closure in Bladen County since 2011, according to a 2024 report by the North Carolina Justice Center. The district closed Booker T. Washington Primary School in 2018. It was also founded under the Rosenwald program, which provided funding to build schools for Black students across the South in the early 1900s. (The building is now used by Bladen Community College.)
Across the state, 73% of North Carolina public schools that have closed since 2011 predominantly served Black and Hispanic students, the report says.
The data aligns with national statistics. Stanford University researchers found that school closures in 26 states between 2007 and 2013 affected more low-performing schools serving more Black and Latino students than predominantly white schools with similar academic scores, according to the report.
“What we see time after time, the burden of school closures are placed on families of color,” said Kris Nordstrom, who wrote the report. “If East Arcadia is closed, children would be asked to make longer trips to school. And then it’s their neighborhood that no longer has this anchor of their community as well.”
Bladen County school officials say East Arcadia School has seen a decline in enrollment, as Booker T. Washington Primary School did before its closure. The state does not pay principals at schools with fewer than 100 students, so the county has had to cover the East Arcadia principal’s salary and benefits.
Superintendent Jason Atkinson said the district has tried to hear from as many parents as possible.
“We are trying to consider all of the parts here,” he told the Border Belt Independent. “There is so much to be taken into consideration when making a decision like this, and we want to listen to everyone involved.
Some people who spoke on Monday encouraged the school board to look for ways to increase enrollment at East Arcadia School. They said it’s unreasonable for elementary students to travel so far on the bus to get to and from school.
“Students need stability; please give this to these students,” said parent Jacalyn Rhodes.
“They need an education and they need help. Don’t make them suffer.”
Some said it would be too hard for parents to participate in their kids’ education if the school is so far away.
“It takes a community to raise children, and it will be hard for parents to go and volunteer,” said Rhonda Hall, an East Arcadia parent. “They need to see somebody that they know. I beg of you to keep the school open.”
‘We Need This School’
Before the meeting on Monday, parents, teachers, and longtime East Arcadia residents gathered in front of the school. They chatted about the weather and how their kids and grandkids were doing in school. Some hugged as young children ran through the crowd.
During the public hearing, some said East Arcadia School is one of the few places to catch up with neighbors and friends. Many people who live nearby have to drive at least 20 minutes to get to the nearest library, park, or recreation program.
“We need this school in this community,” said parent Jerry Grey. “It’s the last little thing we have.”
Keith said it’s important for the school district to invest in East Arcadia School instead of closing it. After high school, he attended college and became a teacher and then a school principal. He later served on the school board. The school can return to its glory days, he said.
“We know the DNA is down here to get the job done,” he said.