CAIRO — Nearly 50 people took their seats at the VanLandingham Center on Monday evening, and just about every one of them was there in opposition to the Grady County Board of Education’s proposal.

The school system is considering moving its pre-kindergarten program to one school and turn three elementary schools into schools with separate grade levels. 

“I know this is a very sensitive issue for the county and the community,” said Gerald Goosby, chair of the Grady BoE. 

Under the school system’s reorganization committee study, the students currently at Northside Elementary will be transferred to either Eastside or Southside elementary schools. Under the plan, students in kindergarten through second grade would go to Eastside and those in third through fifth grades would be sent to Southside. 

Those moves are expected to put the enrollment at Eastside and Southside at between 700 and 750 for each school

But those who spoke at Monday’s public hearing were unanimous in their opposition to making Northside a pre-kindergarten only school and turning the three elementary schools in Cairo into separate grade levels.

“It just doesn’t make sense to me,” Jennifer Lodge told board members. 

Keri Hartsell said her child goes to Cairo elementary schools and said having to drop off children at different schools will put a strain on parents or caregivers.

“We’ll have to drive all the way around town just to get our kids to school,” she said. “Dividing the schools by grade levels will put a new stress on parents and bus drivers. If we separate the schools by grade, once my child starts kindergarten, I’ll have one child at each school. We could put them on the buses, but then we need more bus drivers, which we already have a problem with.”

Hartsell said a pre-k center is a great idea but it will put more strain on parents and bus drivers. She pointed out Thomas County School System elementary schools are divided by grade level, but those schools are in close proximity to each other.

“So many parents are already taking their kids to Thomas County Schools or Brookwood,” Hartsell said.

Also brought up was that some students may have to change schools four times in 10 years and there could be longer bus rides in store for 4-year-olds. 

Robin Renaud cautioned board members to consider the mental hardships teachers and families have faced the last two years. The proposal would require some teachers to move to new schools, along with families having children in a number of different schools.

“We’re tired. We’re exhausted,” she said. “We’ve been through so much with the pandemic.” 

Patti Spitzler, who runs an after school program directly across the street from one of the elementary schools, asked board members why the move was necessary.

“Why do you want to do this?” she said. “I have kids, brothers and sisters, who go to the same school, and they’re scared. These kids don’t need to be separated. Families need to be in the same schools. It benefits the children. It gives them security.

“When a child is scared, they do not learn.”

Also under consideration are adjusting school attendance lines, which could mean more students at both Shiver and Whigham schools. The Southside cafeteria will be modernized, with an expansion of the kitchen and eating area. Moving all pre-k to Northside is projected to add five classrooms to Eastside and three to Southside. 

Board members are expected to take up the matter for a final vote soon but also are in the middle of a superintendent search.