Oglethorpe Consolidated School Legacy
The Oglethorpe Echo original story HERE
The future of the former Oglethorpe Consolidated School is not simply a question of demolition or development, it is a question of memory, legacy and what it means to carry something forward. For alumni like Ed Sanders, the loss of the building is deeply felt. Yet within that loss is an understanding: progress, in many ways, is necessary. The challenge is ensuring that what is built next does not erase what came before.
Ed Sanders said he and other former students of the Oglethorpe Consolidated School hate the reality of their former building being torn down — but they understand the need.
School Superintendent Beverley Levine met with clergy from around Oglethorpe County in January (2022) to discuss how to honor the heritage and preserve the history of the school using a ranking method with colorful sticky paper.
That conversation continued at Springhill Baptist Church in Philomath, where the act of gathering itself became part of the preservation.
List of proposed ideas provided by Levine:
Create an outdoor pavilion to accommodate about 150 people and name it after the consolidated school
Granite stone with the years and history of the school in the pavilion
Bricks with the class years from 1945-1970 to be incorporated with the pavilion
Use old stone from the building to construct a pathway from the past to the future
Pictures of both the old primary and elementary schools around the new school
Invite older principals, students and teachers to attend the ribbon-cutting
Salvage the gym and use it as a possible community center
Levine said the hurdles are receiving state approval of the elementary school and the financial component of the primary school. The elementary school state of life is under the recommended state rule for phasing out facilities.
In January a meeting with state legislators set the school board members one step closer to securing the support needed for the elementary school. Oglethorpe County School Board chair Becky Soto breaks down the goals for the funds of the new school.
“We would need $22 million in general obligation bond referendum and SPLOST continuation from the voters to approve of on the primary ballot in May,” said Soto.
The approval is important because voters will make a decision about a debt that will span 20 years. The low wealth district classification get small SPLOST dollars, causing the gap to pay large capital projects like the primary school.
“$12 million of the local share will go to a new primary school with state approved funds,” Soto said. “The other $10 million has no immediate plans but will pend on the potential refinancing of the existing lease debt with ABM to save taxpayers money.” ABM’s Energy Performance Contracting program allows the school system to upgrade while creating significant savings. “The taxpayers will not see an increase in their taxes to be able to build this building, it would be a continuation of current taxes,” Levine said.
Before the community now is not simply a vote on a building. It is a decision about how a place is remembered, how a history is honored, and how a future is shaped.