School board to state: Keep CBA Birthplace open
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on May 8, 2013 1:51 PM
School officials Monday night backed a resolution to keep the Charles B. Aycock Birthplace open.
The local landmark on the northern end of the county, a popular field trip for many educators, has been targeted as one of several historic sites in the state facing possible closure, even temporarily, as part of the governor's budget.
School board member Rick Pridgen said he has fond memories of visiting the one-room schoolhouse near Fremont as a child.
"I think it's definitely an educational trip for students," he said. "It's right in our own backyard and I think it's a wonderful place for students to go and visit."
Pridgen read the resolution, which seeks the support of Gov. McCrory and other legislators in keeping the birthplace open during the upcoming fiscal year.
It is more than a tourist stop and for more than five decades has offered a representation of the county and state's history, Pridgen said, drawing students from across the state.
"(The birthplace) engages hundreds of Wayne County Public Schools' students from various grades and courses through living history field trips which allow students to explore the state's rich and diverse heritage and gain a better appreciation and understanding of a local state leader whose education reforms 100 years ago shaped the face of North Carolina education today," he read.
Pridgen said copies of the resolution will be sent to the General Assembly, the governor's office, local public governing officials, the state Board of Education and the superintendent of public instruction, asking them to join the district and Board of Education in efforts to keep the birthplace open.