In this 21st century economy, the chances of being successful without a proper college education are slim; employers actively search for people with credentials that indicate a high chance for success. Due to this unsaid requirement, education is a primary benefactor in determining an individual’s future socioeconomic status. How can a child from a low-income household rise up and achieve success? Around the age of five, children are sent to kindergarten to begin their arduous journey through school. After a total of 12 to 13 more years of grade, middle and high school, these same children become independent and decide if college is worth its price tag. The importance of these facilities lies in their possession of the resources to unite communities, influence surrounding neighborhoods and protect students from the horrors of the outside world. Once these young adults graduate, the successful alumni return to their old schools and donate money for renovations and advancements in resources. According to this cycle, schools with high graduation rates and standardized test scores should be self-sustaining due to their influence on the community and the nostalgic alumni. When schools integrate, it’s a different story; two schools merge and form a better place for education, but the remnants of the two parent facilities decay and take up space.
The abandoned high school across the bridge from Mercer Village, formerly known as the girls-only Miller High School, was shut down around 1970 when Bibb County Judge Bootle ordered the integration of schools combining Miller High with the boys-only Lanier High. This integration formed the coed Central High School of today. Miller High’s remains still decay and tower over the surrounding neighborhood. Either Mercer or the city of Macon should fund the revitalization of the building and use it for more Mercerian dorms or for a community shelter. This facility would then influence and inspire the adolescents from the surrounding neighborhood to enroll in school. In turn, these teens would join as part of the cycle, and influence others and unite the community.
