Every educational institution is expected to do more with less these days. So, I commend the Public Schools of Robeson County Board of Education and the Robeson County Board of Commissioners for their visionary leadership in taking a long-range view of our school district’s facilities needs.

Overseeing the buildings and grounds of The University of North Carolina at Pembroke, I understand the challenges inherent in maintenance and capital planning. I also see the clear direct link between students’ surroundings and their ability to learn.

Numerous studies have shown a positive relationship between the quality of public school facilities and a range of academic and community outcomes. A review by the 21st Century School Fund cited research that showed effects on a range of important student factors, including suspension rates, test scores, attendance and dropout rates. Factors such as building condition, age and design promote the educational process. There is no doubt learning is strongly influenced by the setting in which it occurs.

Having visited a number of area schools over the past year, I can attest that many of the facilities aren’t conducive to learning and certainly don’t inspire the greatness we all wish for our children.

I am especially concerned about what happens in these buildings because the Public Schools of Robeson County and UNC Pembroke are important partners. Nearly a third of UNCP students are from Robeson County. And continuing our 129-year tradition of training teachers, the university prepares many of the educators working in the Public Schools of Robeson County, including 171 who graduated from UNCP within the past three years alone.

It is clear that providing students and teachers with safe, welcoming facilities that foster learning will require a significantly different approach. Stopgap fixes to a sprawling accumulation of aging, inefficient buildings aren’t an adequate solution. We must be willing to embrace bold, innovative ideas like the proposal under consideration to significantly realign and invest in our schools.

Change is never easy, and this plan is no exception. I understand the pride Robesonians have in their local schools and the impact those schools have on their communities. I share that pride. So, it is my hope, as with multiple examples from past years, the affected campuses will be repurposed for other constructive uses that will continue to foster a sense of community and shared identity.

Robeson County has long been among the worst of the worst when it comes to poverty, health conditions and crime statistics. The key to solving these interconnected problems is education. At UNCP, we pledge to fully support the Public Schools of Robeson County and urge elected officials who control the district’s destiny to keep an open mind about the way forward.

Our county has tremendous potential. We are blessed with diversity, a rich heritage, abundant natural resources, an interstate highway, a major health care system, and an excellent community college and university. I believe we will continue to lag behind unless we improve public education.

What we’re doing isn’t working. Let’s be willing to at least consider what might. Our children are depending on us as leaders to make the hard decisions for their futures.

With forward thinking and collaboration, I am confident we can harness the power of education to change lives throughout Robeson County. Again, I am encouraged by the vision and courage of our elected leaders to bring this vital conversation forward for discussion. It’s about the next seven generations.

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Dr. Robin Cummings is chancellor of The University of North Carolina at Pembroke.