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Matthews schools to route Thomas Hunter office traffic through elementary building as reorganization test
Summary
Facing staffing shortages and consolidation planning, district leaders will close the Thomas Hunter office for most daytime hours starting April 27 and route calls and pickups through Matthews Elementary while staff test logistics ahead of a planned preK–7 consolidation.
District leaders told the Matthews County School Board on April 21 they will temporarily route Thomas Hunter Middle School office calls, deliveries and daytime parent pickups through Matthews Elementary effective April 27 as part of reorganization preparations.
Dr. Daniel and school administrators said the move responds to staffing constraints and upcoming testing demands. Between 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., visitors and callers who would normally contact the Thomas Hunter office will be routed to the elementary office, where staff will triage requests and radio the middle-school principal or staff as needed.
The shift is described as an operational trial to work through volume, phone traffic, pickup/drop-off logistics and supervision before the district consolidates Thomas Hunter and Matthews Elementary into a single preK–7 campus next school year. Administrators plan signage, parent communications and adjustments to drop-off and dismissal patterns. Miss Simpson and campus leads are reviewing room assignments and supervision plans; facilities work this summer could alter classroom footprints.
Board members asked about accommodation for midday student pickups and special deliveries; administrators said there will be morning and afternoon windows at the Thomas Hunter office for those needs and that phone lines will be forwarded. The district will monitor the arrangement and report back to the board as the consolidation timetable advances.
The board did not take formal policy action at the meeting; the change is operational and effective April 27.
Next step: staff will monitor call routing, adjust signage and return with lessons learned and any recommended changes ahead of the consolidation implementation.
