During the time of the year when you don’t have to go very far to hear a politician saying something, anything, about their upcoming election bid, it was a short quip from NC Sen. Kevin Corbin that should make everyone in Highlands sleep a little easier.
No, Corbin wasn’t waxing on about his credentials or sharing his platform for his own reelection bid next Tuesday. He was speaking about the future of one of Highlands’ most important and impactful resources.
“This groundbreaking and the improvements being made to Highlands School show that Macon County, and the state of North Carolina, are committed to this school for the future,” Corbin said.
While that seemingly mundane comment may not usually lead to a headline in the newspaper, Corbin’s intention was clear. In an era of school consolidation, cost cutting, and budgetary restrictions – Highlands School isn’t going anywhere.
Corbin noted that there are only three K-12 school buildings in the state and two of them are in Macon County (Highlands and Nantahala). For years, the cost to operate the two “outlying” facilities has been a topic during budget season.
While no one at the county level has ever openly suggested consolidating one or both of the schools into Franklin, there have been officials at the state level who have looked at the map and asked why Macon County, with its relatively small population, needs three separate school facilities. Corbin, along with former county commissioner Ronnie Beale, have chartered tours for folks in Raleigh who may have not understood the logistics of getting from Franklin to Highlands, or Franklin to Nantahala.
The bus tour for NC Department of Education staff members and elected officials Corbin and Beale organized the year Corbin was elected to the NC House of Representatives is still talked about by those who struggled to keep their lunch down while riding a school bus up the Gorge Road.
The renovation and expansion of Highlands School to better serve its students is a much-needed project that took years to get through the pipeline. It’s a step in the right direction for our students.