Residents continue fight to save historic school: ‘Let Ligon live’
By Elaina Athans
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RALEIGH, North Carolina (WTVD) — Jared Ollison has three family members who graduated from Ligon High School, including his late mother, Rosaline.
“This school is a jewel, it’s one of a kind,” he said.
Ollison’s mom graduated in the Class of 1968, and his grandmother had close ties to the school’s namesake.
“My grandmother lived next door to J.W. Ligon himself over on the Lenoir Street, and I heard wonderful stories about J.W. Ligon and his legacy. What it means to the people in the community is very hard to describe,” he said.
Ollison is among the area residents fighting to preserve the original school building.
Ligon opened in the 1950’s as an all-Black high school. It was eventually integrated and later turned into a middle school.
Now, the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) wants to make changes to meet population growth.
“I would like to see them either renovated or rebuild it and still keep it as a historic site,” said community activist Diana Powell.
District leaders have spent the last several months meeting with residents about the aging building. WCPSS said the school has reached a point where basic repairs aren’t enough. Ligon’s heating system is 24 years old, the fire detection system is outdated, and 28 of 32 classrooms do not meet space requirements.
WCPSS Superintendent Dr. Robert Taylor started Tuesday’s committee discussion by saying, “So many people have a history with the school, and those voices matter.”
The board is considering three design plans.
One proposal would be to renovate the existing building, another would be to construct a new facility on a different section of the property, and the third option would be to build a new one where the ballfield stands.
Ollinson said bulldozing the original structure would demolish part of Raleigh’s history.
“The community needs a win here. Lately, developers and people who want to change the landscape of the community have been winning. The community needs a win, and a win would be to let Ligon live and renovate it, but preserve it,” said Ollison.
The district plans to invest at least $100 million in the project.
After a long and sometimes heated debate that lasted more than an hour, the committee did not vote in favor of a particular option. Ligon’s fate will be further discussed at Tuesday night’s school board meeting.
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