POWELLSVILLE – The years of service may have come to an end.

With the 2010-11 academic year set to begin tomorrow (Wednesday) in Bertie County Schools, it appears C.G. White School has seen its final day of service in the community.

Last week, Interim Bertie County Schools Superintendent Dr. Will Crawford announced that the Powellsville-based school will no longer serve as a More-At-Four and Pre-Kindergarten site.

“Effective with the beginning of the 2010-11 school year, the More-at-Four/Pre-K and Kindergarten programs will return to our elementary schools for all eligible Bertie County four and five-year-olds,” Dr. Crawford said.

The interim superintendent said the decision was due to long bus rides for smaller children and because of budget constraints.

All pre-K and kindergarten students in the attendance zones of Aulander Elementary School, Colerain Elementary School and West Bertie Elementary School (Kelford) will attend the schools in their respective zone.

Those students in the Windsor Elementary School attendance zone will remain at the Askewville More-At-Four and Pre-K site.

Also moving to Askewville will be the Even Start program, which is a pre-K program for children and is combined with a course of study for their parents or guardian.

Dr. Crawford said the district regretted any inconvenience the change of venue may have caused.

“We apologize if this causes an inconvenience for you or your child,” Dr. Crawford said. “Our intentions are to provide the best education for all students and at the same time be more efficient and effective in spending tax-payer funds.”

The More-at-Four/Pre-K program serves all eligible Bertie County children who turn four years old on or before August 31.  It has been housed at C.G. White for approximately a year and a half. The Askewville site was added at the beginning of the 2009-10 academic year.

Bertie County Board of Education Vice Chairman Alton Parker said the school board had made no decision currently about the future of the building.

“As of right now, we have made no decision about the future of C. G. White,” Parker said. “I’m sure we will look at it as some point.”

The vice chair did say, however, that work to repair a faulty boiler and leaking roof at the school were halted.

“One of the reasons besides the long bus rides that we made this decision is the amount of money it would take to repair C.G. White,” Parker said. “At this time, all repairs have been put on hold.”