Davidson IB and J.M. Alexander students, staff and parents gathered Friday to beautify the Alexander campus, where both schools will be consolidated in the fall. (Karen Cimino Wilson/DavidsonNews.net)

By KAREN CIMINO WILSON
DavidsonNews.net

HUNTERSVILLE – Davidson IB Middle School eighth-grader Morgan Howder of Huntersvllle said she sees both positives and negatives to combining her tiny magnet school with J.M. Alexander Middle School next school year.

Morgan was one of more than 30 students, parents and staff members from both schools who spent two hours on Friday raking, planting flowers and spreading pine needles around the landscaping on the J.M. Alexander Middle School campus, on N.C. 115.

Parents from both middle schools organized the event to help build camaraderie between parents, students and staff members from the two schools. It was the first unity-building event the schools have held, and they plan more.

Morgan and other Davidson IB students earned community service credits for helping – something Davidson IB requires for students at each grade level.

Morgan, who will attend Hopewell High School in the fall, said she’s sad that her younger classmates will miss out on the frequent interactions with Davidson College students and faculty, the outdoor classroom and hanging at the green in downtown Davidson after school on Fridays.

But Morgan, an avid volleyball player, said there’s a silver lining for her classmates, too.

“There’s an upside,” she said. “You don’t have to split up for sports.”

Davidson IB Middle School doesn’t offer sports. Students must join teams at their home schools. So, sometimes you have class with your biggest athletic rival, Morgan said.

“It’s like, “Oh, hi. We beat you last night,’ ” she said.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board decided recently as a part of budget cuts to close several schools. Davidson IB Middle School, a full magnet program that has taken students from across the district, was one of the schools the board decided to close because it is too expensive to continue operating. The board also has discussed eliminating middle school sports, though efforts are underway to save them.

Davidson IB Middle School Principal Jo Karney also will move to J.M. Alexander Middle School where she will be principal.

She said the parents helped organize the beautification day. The school has traditionally done similar events, but decided to work with J.M. Alexander this year.

“Just working side by side is already bringing them together,” she said.

L-R: Yvonne Howder and her daughter Morgan, an eighth grader at Davidson IB Middle School, helped spruce up the J.M. Alexander Middle School grounds.

David Dworak, a Davidson IB Middle School parent, helped organize the beautification effort with help from parents at J.M. Alexander. His daughter is in the 7^th grade at Davidson IB now.

“It’s hard on both schools,” Dworak said about the transition to one consolidated school. “It’s important to start early trying to build unity. Events like this will help.”

Cierra Clayton, an eighth-grader at J.M. Alexander this year, and her sister Symantha Clayton, who will attend the middle school in the fall, said they came out to help because it sounded like fun. It also helped Cierra earn community service credit that she needs for one of her club memberships.

Alexander students are accustomed to having about 600 students at their school. Students talk about how adding more than 200 additional students will affect them, the Claytons said.

“Cierra said I might not be able to get a locker next year,” Symantha said.

J.M. Alexander parent Alison Barksdale, who works on the transition team to prepare for combining the schools, said it’s sad because some staff will be leaving the school.

“I think it will be good,” she said. “I’m not saying it’s going to be an easy merger. We’ll lose some staff and that makes me sad.”

But building a sense of unity between the two student bodies will be crucial to a successful transition, she said.

“We want to do what we can to make it a smooth transition for everyone,” she said.

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