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GREENSBORO — Many in the Southeast Guilford community thought they would get a new elementary school when they helped pass a $457 million school construction bond last year. Now, they say the Board of Education wants to build the school to serve the Eastern community instead.

Southeast residents are fighting the school board’s decision last month to build a Southeast area elementary school more than a mile north of Interstate 85 along Mount Hope Church and Robertson roads.

“My problem is, if that school goes up there, our kids will not get priority,” said Linda Welborn. “I’m willing to share, but I’m not willing to be cut out.”

Welborn began advocating for the school in 2006 and worked with school district officials to garner support for the construction bonds.

Material drawn up to promote those bonds included a map with stars showing in which regions the new schools would be built. The star representing the Southeast elementary school sits south of I-85, slightly north of where Alamance Elementary School is now. The new school was promoted as relief for Alamance Elementary because it is nearly at capacity with more than 780 students enrolled.

Welborn, and many others in her community, were infuriated when they learned the school board had approved an initial step in purchasing property that lies within the Eastern High district, not the Southeast High district.

The property will cost $11,550 an acre, for a total of $637,500 for 55 acres.

School district officials say they scoured the Southeast for property but found none that met all the criteria, including proximity to a major road, ease of access to utilities, available acreage and price.

Andy LaRowe, the district’s executive director of facilities and construction, said the new school still would draw students primarily from the Alamance Elementary district. But it also would draw some students from Sedalia and McLeansville elementaries, both Eastern area schools that are near capacity. 

The 2008 bond also includes additions at McLeansville Elementary that will increase capacity by 126 students.

District officials believe these Eastern communities are set to grow rapidly. But the idea that the Southeast area elementary school would be used to address crowding at Eastern area schools angers many in the Southeast.

“That’s not what the school was put on the bond for,” Welborn said.

Southeast residents say if the new school is built where the board is looking, it will be only a matter of time before it serves a majority of the Eastern community and Southeast families are back to begging for a new elementary school.

“One thing you have to consider in all this is where the growth is going to be,” said school board member Paul Daniels.

Daniels represents the Southeast area and said he understands why families are upset. The school board ordered district officials to look for more property in the Southeast. Daniels said they’ve returned with a couple of dozen properties, but the owners either aren’t interested in selling, didn’t return phone calls or wanted too much money for the land.

“I know if the school doesn’t go there, there are going to be some people with hurt feelings, but we’re doing all we can to be deliberate about this process,” he said.

The option to purchase the current property runs out Nov. 30. LaRowe said delaying the Southeast project could affect other bond projects, though he did not go as far as to say it would delay them.

School board member Sandra Alexander campaigned heavily in the Southeast and said she won’t support buying the land until LaRowe and his team have made every effort to find property farther south.

“I really want to see an exhaustive effort because I think the people of the Southeast deserve that,” she said.

Along with regular trips to school board meetings, Southeast residents are lobbying the county commissioners on the issue. The commissioners must sign off on the land purchase before the school district can move forward with the deal.

Commissioner Billy Yow, who represents the area, said the school board needs to back off the property it has optioned. Yow is suspicious of the land deal and said if the board can’t show him it has done its best to find other property, he won’t support the land purchase.  “For me to support this property, they are going to have to lay it out as the most feasible, reasonable option,” Yow said.

Southeast families said they were promised a new school and they intend to fight for it.

“I won’t quit fighting until they’ve signed on the dotted line,” Welborn said.

Contact J. Brian Ewing at 373-7351 or brian.ewing@news-record.com