Closing school, tradition

Published Tuesday, July 7, 2009

We were saddened to hear about the proposed closing of Shelby Academy, which has been a fixture on the Shelby County educational scene for close to 40 years.

This will only make life more difficult for the school’s teachers, who were assured that the school would be able to open its doors this fall. They should have had at least a year’s respite from an uncertain job market, but now likely find themselves scrambling to find employment for the upcoming school year, which begins in a mere month.

Shelby Academy’s students and parents are the other victims of the school’s sudden upheaval. One student, identified only as “Kimmie,” posted a comment on our story, “Shelby Academy expected to close doors,” saying, “Between being upset and crying yesterday after hearing the news, I said to my mom, ‘I will do anything to keep Shelby Academy going strong because it is the perfect school, and the bad news has hurt a lot of people.’”

The school’s membership is holding a meeting to answer questions and vote on the school’s fate July 14. Just judging from the feedback we’ve received, it sounds as if many people will attend, like Kimmie, looking for a glimmer of hope. Preserving Shelby Academy means preserving part of Shelby County, so we wish them, and the school’s administration, good luck. Our diversity of schools is part of what makes Shelby County so great, and losing just one lessens that tradition.

We Say is the opinion of the Shelby County Reporter editorial board.

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