JACKSON – The Northampton County Board of Commissioners and the Northampton County Board of Education (BOE) toured five schools on Tuesday following a request by the BOE for $800,000 in additional funding for a plan to consolidate Northampton County schools by next school year.

The two boards started their tour at Willis Hare Elementary School, went to the old Northampton-East High School (now Northampton High School), then to Squire Elementary, then to the former Northampton-West High School (now Gaston Middle School), and ended the tour at Gaston Elementary.

The plan under consideration calls for moving high school students to the former Northampton-West facility and closing the Creeksville location (now Northampton County High School) that was constructed in the early 1960’s.

Gaston Elementary would house students in grades 1-8 from the west side of the county

Squire Elementary would house pre-K and Kindergarten students, high school students preparing for the Early College program at Halifax Community College, and an alternative learning center.

Conway Middle School would house students from the eastern portion of the county in grades 1-8

Willis Hare, located in Pendleton, will be for pre-K and Kindergarten students, according to the proposal.

Central Elementary School in Jackson would continue for grades pre-K through 5th.

To give the public a say before a plan is approved, the School Board will hold a public hearing at 6:30 p.m. at the Northampton County Health and Wellness Center in Jackson tonight (Thursday, April 7).

The county commissioners will start their regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, April 18 earlier than normal (4:30 p.m.) to discuss the BOE’s proposal.