MonticelloLive

In what once were halls loud with giggles, energy, and enthusiasm there is now an ethereal silence. It’s broken only by the occasional drip of water falling from holes in the ceiling to land upon the sodden tiles below. W.C. Whaley has been vacant since the 1999-2000 school year. That was the last year the school housed students and faculty. In 2000, the elementary school was relocated to a new facility, named Monticello Elementary School (MES) on Scogin Drive.

In the fall of 2001, the city purchased W.C. Whaley from the school district at a cost of $140,000. Stated intentions at the time were to relocate the city offices, fire station, and other civil services to the facility after a renovation. It never happened. After 5 years of sitting untended by the city, the former school reminds one these days of a structure that’s been hit by a tornado - from the inside.

In the past six months alone, pieces of W.C. Whaley have literally walked away, carried out by looters and others who knew the value of what was within. Empty insulation sheaths that once housed copper pipe litter the hallways of both classroom wings. It’s estimated that upwards of $15-$20,000 worth of copper pipe has been removed from the building without protest. Copper became a valuable commodity in the past year. (See linked image for copper price increase.) Doors, wood paneling, air conditioner parts, and other fixtures have also slowly exited the building.More pictures here.

Doors that once welcomed children at the beginning of each school year now hang on their hinges, many of them opened inward, standing in a sea of glass that they once contained. Windows throughout the facility are broken. Walls and chalkboards are spray painted with misspelled graffiti, making one ponder the irony of the lack of education it represents.

Although the city has not done anything with the facility since it purchased it under Mayor Harold West’s tenure, others have desired better things for the structure. Michael Jones, pastor of Revival Center, related that at the auction in which the school was being sold, he and his leadership team were present to bid on the building in 2001. However, when they determined that the city wanted the facility, they chose not to run up the bid so that the city could get the building for the lowest bid possible.

Other organizations have looked into transforming W.C. Whaley into a community center, a school, and even the city fire station and police offices. At one point, Journey Church looked into turning the facility into a multi-use, multi-organization center for the purpose of community meetings, organizational meetings, non-profit and ministry-oriented service organizations, and tutoring. It has been suggested that the facility be transformed into a new library. Grace Christian Academy considered the possibility of renovating part of the facility as their permanent location.

Renovation is not the only problem facing the facility. There is asbestos in the floor tiles. After representatives from Emtech Corporation paid an informal, courtesy visit to the location for Journey Church, it was estimated that it would cost $120,000 to do the legally-required abatement of the facility. Although new tiles could be laid down on top of the tiles in the cafeteria/auditorium wing, asbestos removal would be required in the two classroom wings since carpet had been glued to the tiles there. To completely tear down the facility and dispose of the asbestos properly would cost approximately $150,000, according to the estimate.

Although the facility was purchased under the leadership of former Mayor Harold West, current Mayor David Anderson attempted to fulfill the original intentions behind the purchase. In 2003, authorized by the city council, he hired an architectural firm from Little Rock to determine the feasibility of renovating the structure for use by the city.

“After meeting with the architect, we determined that it would be more financially feasible for us to remodel our current location, the old post office and city hall and also build a new fire station,” said Anderson.

Anderson related that the estimated cost for renovations to the interior and roof were $1.3 million. These costs did not include an asbestos abatement.

Although the city has reached a stalemate with the structure, W.C. Whaley continues to invite speculation and vandalism. Plywood put over the glass doors did little to stop intruders over the years, and according to Anderson, the police simply don’t have enough manpower to constantly patrol the facility.

With glass littering the hallways and classrooms, pink insulation draped forlornly from missing tiles in the ceiling, and obscenities painted along the building’s walls and chalkboards, this former school is no longer a place for children. It remains to be seen if there’s any life left in it at all.

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