Closing Cook Elementary School will uproot students and have a negative impact on the historic Boston-Thurmond neighborhood, speakers told the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Board of Education at a public hearing on Tuesday.

"Cook stands as a lighthouse for the community," said Val Young, a veteran educator.

Based on its low enrollment and the condition of the 75-year-old building, Cook may close. The school board will vote on whether to close the school at its Oct. 28 meeting. If approved, Cook will close at the end of the 2025-26 school year.

If the school board approves closing the school, it will then vote on new attendance zones for the displaced Cook students. Depending on where they live in the current Cook zone, the students will be dispersed among four nearby elementary s

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