Beth Cassidy
Enterprise Record

Renovating Davie High School would be a waste of money.
That was the message three Davie residents relayed at the school board meeting last week, and one, Lori Smith, presented a copy of a letter from the NC Department of Public Instruction (DPI) that reinforces that message.
The letter, sent to Superintendent Dr. Darrin Hartness Aug. 27, is from Steven Taynton, DPI chief of school planning. He thanked Hartness for allowing DPI to review a feasibility analysis and said he would forward the information to the NC Historical Commission, “for their review as required for the school’s eventual demolition or abandonment per” general statute 115C-521.
Smith read the remainder of the letter to the board. It states, “We [DPI] concur with the analysis team’s conclusions and recommendations. In the long range, Davie County should consider purchasing a new site and constructing a new high school. It appears that renovations to the existing school will be very costly due to the age and condition of many systems as well as educational shortcomings in classroom sizes and built-in equipment. The cost difference as shown by detailed estimating indicates that even with spending …