Hunt Intermediate is the last of a dying breed of black neighborhood schools in Columbus, according to community members and alumni. And they are rallying around the school to preserve it.
Lee Middle and Hunt Intermediate schools both closed in January with the opening of the new Columbus Middle School on Highway 373. Seventh- and eighth-graders and Lee and sixth-graders at Hunt moved to the new school on Jan. 19.
While the future of Lee Middle School is uncertain, Columbus Municipal School District has agreed to keep Hunt Intermediate School on 20th Street North open, as the district”s alternative school. The school also will house the office of federal programs. Both currently are housed at Brandon Central Services on McArthur Drive.
Lee and Hunt both opened in 1953. Lee was the all-white high school, and Hunt was the all-black high school.
A committee of community members also is pushing to turn Hunt into a museum of sorts and a place to display the school”s memorabilia.
“My main concern as to why I want to preserve Hunt and keep it open is all the other schools that was located in the African-American heritage districts pretty much have closed; for example Mitchell, Union Academy, Hughes,” said Columbus Mayor Robert Smith, who appeared before the school board earlier this month, in support of keeping the school open.
Smith attended Hunt High from 1968-1970 and began school at Lee High in August of 1970, when Lee was fully integrated.
“With Hunt, I just want to see it preserved and stay open,” Smith said.
The mayor has received several letters from community members, requesting the school be preserved. A petition to the same effect also was delivered to his office, with 190 signatures, he said.
“There are numerous people who have asked if they can do a museum over there — an African-American museum,” Smith said.
The museum would include school memorabilia and tributes to prominent black Columbus natives.
George Irby, Hunt High class of 1964, remembers the school as “a force” that brought the community together.
“When Hunt was built, it brought people from the county and the city together,” he said. “Before they opened Hunt, I didn”t know anyone from the county. It brought people together that became friends and remained friends forever.”
Mitchell, formerly an all-black school on 15th Street South, closed in 2008, as did Union Academy on 10th Avenue North, Columbus” first black school though it was relocated from its original location. The schools, which had the smallest enrollment of the district”s then-seven elementary schools, were costing the district more per student than any other school.
Greater Pentecostal Church bought Mitchell, and RTP Inc. is leasing Union and using it as an employment training center. State law prevents Union from being sold, as it is on land set aside for school district purposes.
Coleman and Hughes, other closed Columbus schools, were sold. The Head Start program purchased Coleman, off 22nd Street South; Genesis Church purchased Hughes on 23rd Street North; the old Demonstration school on 11th Street South, on the Mississippi University for Women campus, is owned by the university and remains idle.
Community members don”t want Hunt to go the same way.
“They just want something to identify with in the black neighborhoods,” Smith said.
“We”re going to put our hearts and souls behind preservation (of Hunt),” said school board member Tommy Prude, at this month”s board meeting, Feb. 14. Prude is a 1964 graduate of Hunt.
Hunt memorabilia, now at CMSD central office, will be moved to the school for display.
No plans have been announced for Lee Middle School, which could be sold. The district has started the appraisal process, but officials don”t expect appraisals until April or May.
The building is 96,350 square feet on 14.4 acres of land at the corner of Military Road and 18th Avenue.
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