Monroe Dispatch - No Struggle, No Progress

The announcement of more money allocated to Carroll High School to make much-needed repairs/renovations to the facility is good news. The school has produced remarkable students through the years, and with new leadership at the school, there is no reason not to expect that the trend will continue. The repairs/renovations to the band room, restrooms, and the heating/ac system are all good for the school, but many feel that more can be done. The school board has just built a multi-million-dollar Martin Luther King Jr. High Middle School that should serve the community well, and the changes being made at Carroll should serve future students better than in the past. Dr. Eric Davis has established himself as the leader at Carroll, and many believe that he will become an outstanding principal over time. In order to be what is expected of him, Davis will need not only the support of the school board but also of the community that Carroll serves. That includes graduates who compose the alumni/boosters who want to see the school go to the next level. Carroll may not be on the historic registry, but its legacy to the community and the thousands of students who have walked the school grounds makes it no less noteworthy. People are saying that it is past time to put an end to the bickering between those who are on opposite ends of what needs to be done at Carroll. There needs to be "one" voice from the community, as there is one voice in the principal's office. It is no secret that over the years, it seems as though Carroll was pushed/kicked aside while other schools progressed. It wasn't that Carroll wasn't graduating good students every year, but upgrades to the school fell behind, and things looked bleak for the school. Wossman High School expanded with a new field house and other amenities, gymnasium included, while Carroll seemed to be left lacking. Hopefully, other changes are coming to the school, such as an upgraded cafeteria. Some have even said that the school could use a new gym and let the current one act as a student center. One of the things that many have talked about is changing the outward appearance of the school. From the street, looking at the school from across the funeral home, the school takes on the look of an elementary school. If one looks at the exterior of the new MLK school, it has a "university" look and certainly could catch the eye of a prospective parent. People talk about how the facade of Neville High School looks with its high walls on the well-landscaped grounds that has an "Ivy League" school look. People believe that the potential is there for Carroll to move forward as long as overdue renovations happen. Money alone can't make a school. The community still has to do its part. Yes, Carroll needs your voices, but the school also needs your dollars. Boost the school with your dollars. It's a wise investment. Principal Davis and the school's board representative's main priority is Carroll, and there should be many more conversations(between the two) on how to move the school forward. The potential is there.