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Pine Hall residents urge commissioners to save and repurpose Pine Hall Elementary
Summary
Residents from Pine Hall told the Stokes County Board of Commissioners they want the closed Pine Hall Elementary preserved and reused for community programs — from a Y-style recreation center to workforce or reentry services — and asked the county to work with the school board and local volunteers on options.
About a dozen Pine Hall residents told the Stokes County Board of Commissioners on Sept. 8 that the closed Pine Hall Elementary is the heart of their community and urged county officials to preserve and repurpose the building rather than sell it to the highest bidder.
"We've got to do something to keep that to be the center of our community," said Jason Duncan, a former Pine Hall teacher, who suggested converting classrooms to a Y-style community center, using the library space for fitness equipment and keeping the gym available for residents. "Make our building something useful so they can move up here and have things to do."
Other residents described long ties to the school and worries about its current condition. Wanda Charlton, who taught in Pine Hall for decades, said playground equipment and memorials tied to community members had been removed or neglected and asked the county to involve residents in decisions. "Taxes went up tremendously this year. What's my taxes going to do to help me in Pine Hall?" she asked.
Michael Gibson, who identified Mike Joyce as his stepfather and highlighted Joyce's local legacy, urged that any reuse honor community needs such as job training, substance-use support or reentry services. "It could be so many uses for this place but in honor of my mom and my Joyce ... it would be a great honor and his legacy," Gibson said.
Commissioners said they value the community's input and are not rushing a decision. Commissioner Brad invited staff to hold work sessions in Pine Hall to gather more public feedback. Commissioner Sonia noted that changes in state statutes mean school property does not automatically revert to the county and said the board will need to determine whether to assert its first right of refusal.
County legal staff described options: if the school board offers the property to the county the county may accept or decline; if the county accepts, it could later convey or program the property (subject to statutory and zoning requirements). Commissioners recalled the Francisco property process, in which the county used a grant-based agreement with community stakeholders to guide redevelopment and said they could pursue a similar community-driven model.
Next steps: staff agreed to send an informal letter to the school board to clarify the school system's asking price and intent and to request that Pine Hall residents identify a point of contact or organizing group to work with county staff. No formal county action was taken at the meeting; commissioners said the matter will remain under discussion until the school board's response and community preferences are clear.
