Some residents of Buladean and Tipton Hill have petitioned the ACLU to investigate the Mitchell County School Board’s decision to close schools in their community. The group gathered over 400 signatures on the petition that was sent to the ACLU and they contend that the school board hasn’t listened to the people in the two communities.
      Dr. Rick Spurling, who officially takes over as new superintendent of schools on July 1, said that the bad economy, cuts to the budget by the state, and the fact that the population of the county is shrinking has forced the board to make the decision to close the two schools. “The school board agonized over the closings, but operating fewer schools will allow the school system to maximize resources, said Spurling, who emphases that his focus is on making the upcoming school year  safe and trouble free throughout the county.
      Tipton Hill residents are concerned about the school closings for a number of reasons. The 31 students at Buladean Elementary and 45 students at Tipton Hill Elementary are scheduled to attend Gouge School in Bakersville this year forcing some children to endure bus rides as long as two hours. Another concern is the loss of the sense of community that the two schools and their facilities provided. 
     Dr. Spurling said that he wants to make sure that the patents and children from Tipton Hill and Buladean Schools feel comfortable with the transition. “We want everyone to feel welcome and know that we are doing our best to deal with the situation.”