By Lumon May
Few people know that my father, Theophalis May, was a philosopher in addition to restoring some of Pensacola’s most precious historical buildings.
One of my father’s often repeated sayings was: “If you can’t change your neighborhood, then you can’t change the world.”
Today, my brothers, sisters and I still believe that. We work tirelessly to change our part of Pensacola block by block like he did.
Whenever we get discouraged and think about moving away from Pensacola’s inner-city, we think about our father. He started the family construction business 52 years ago — May’s Construction — served as the pastor of the Friendship Missionary Baptist Church and eventually died in 2006 at the age of 78.
My daddy gave his life to improve Pensacola, improve our neighborhood and to give his family a head start in academics and athletics. He received little or nothing in return but strongly believed in what he did.
Our church, our family and our neighbors want to continue that tradition of success. We want to buy the decaying, rundown Brownsville Middle School from the Escambia County School District and collaborate and partner with other loving agencies and individuals to provide a helping hand to our most impoverished district in Pensacola.
My brother, Rev. LuTimothy May, his Friendship Missionary church leaders and other local pastors envision pre-K and after-school programs, parenting and life skill programs and other services that raise up our community.
Friendship Missionary Baptist Church has received $1 million in commitments from its membership, which includes one parishioner who pledged $25,000 from a 401K plan. Most of the money, though, has been raised from one-time $5 or $10 gifts. The church is ready and willing to spend that $1 million solely on the school district’s decrepit schoolhouse and has a pledge from Pen Air Federal Credit Union to provide the loan for that amount.
However, Escambia County School District Superintendent Malcolm Thomas and the district’s realty firm, Scoggins Realty, are holding out for $1.1 million, or $100,000 more than what the church is offering. They are unwilling to negotiate or compromise.
It’s my position that the school board should give the church this property for FREE. That’s right, FREE!
Thomas defends his hard-nosed position by arguing that he must safeguard public dollars for the taxpayers. Thomas overlooks the fact, however, that it costs the taxpayers $1.2 million to $2.3 million to cover the costs of ONE young person dropping out of school and embracing a life of crime and drugs, according to the National Center for Juvenile Justice.
The center overseen by Friendship Missionary hopes to save thousands of at-risk youths in our Pensacola neighborhoods. That’s why I believe the abandoned Brownsville Middle School should be handed over for nothing to the church.
Consider that the city of Pensacola is deciding whether to give away the Vince Whibbs Sr. Community Maritime Park western waterfront—our best downtown real estate—for a $1 annual lease to the University of West Florida. Recall that past school boards and superintendents offered abandoned schools for free to any entity that promised to bring jobs to our community. Don’t forget that, several unloaded schools, such as Blount Middle School, remain undeveloped eyesores in our neighborhoods more than 25 years after the last student sat in their classrooms.
U.S. Congressman Kendrick Meek points out to us that research shows school districts across Florida and our nation are creating public-private partnerships to redevelop schools into thriving centers of activities for our youth and our adults.
Let’s be clear, the Brownsville school building is located squarely in District 3, which is the only majority black and Democratic district in Escambia County. The problems on issues such as crime, education, healthcare, housing and jobs is well documented:
• This area has the highest documented crime rate in Escambia County.
• Escambia County has a significantly larger percentage of households than Florida and the U.S. in the lowest income group (less than $10,000 per year).
• The percentage of Escambia County residents below the poverty level is 16.9 percent, compared to 12.2 percent in Florida and 13.1 percent in the U.S.
• The percentage of kindergarteners ready to learn in school is 91 percent for white children and 84 percent for black children.
• FCAT scores show black students scoring three or above on the reading test is 45 percent for fourth graders, 17 percent for eighth graders and 13 percent for 10th graders. For white students, it’s 77 percent, 49 percent and 40 percent, respectively.
• The infant mortality rate for black babies is 14.2 births per 1,000, while for white babies it is 7.8.
• The percentage of children born to black unwed mothers is 74.9 percent, while it’s 31.8 percent for white unwed mothers.
But people living in Attucks Court, Diego Circle, Lincoln Park, Montclair and other District 3 neighborhoods don’t need to be told this. They’re living it everyday.
The Friendship Missionary Baptist Church is simply committed to solutions to poverty and building back the Brownsville community. It deserves the ESCD’s support. After all, like my father said, if we can’t change Brownsville, how are we going to change the world?
Popularity: 8% [?]
The burned and neglected building is worth 1 million? If so why has the school board allowed their asset to deteriorate to the condition of a eyesore instead of selling it or does the board have plenty of money?
Our much is their boarded up eye sore on Spring STreet worth?
Yes I AM my brothers keeper!
My mother lived her entire adult life in District 3. There were very little resources available to enchance her final years. There was the Bayview Center and some others with people that she could not identify with and thus refused to go. She wanted to stay with her own people. Those whom she attended church with, walked to the flea market, even fished with. In her final years,her heart was broken by the system. The housing commission said they were upgraded the run down neighborhood of Morris Court and would bring them back. Well we all know what happened. This should not even be an issue, set a precendent in this, OUR, neighborhood so that we can answer the Master\God with confidence at the judgement, YES I AM MY BROTHERS KEEPER!
Sell the property; if the building is to be used as a church, the county will be not collect property taxes, and given this economy, the county taxpayers will have to make up the differnce in future lost revenues.
“The church is ready and willing to spend that $1 million solely on the school district’s decrepit schoolhouse and has a pledge from Pen Air Federal Credit Union to provide the loan for that amount.”
Unless I’m misreading, it sounds like they have a total budget of $1 million. They would like to spend the entire budget on renovating the building and setting up operations, but have offered a purchase price of $500,000 (leaving an additional $500,000 for renovations). If they bought it for $1 million, there would be no money left to do anything with it. Is that right?
Tearing down buildings that a private entity is willing to spend $1M for is not what should happen, especially if the purchaser understands the condition of the property at the time of the purchase. Tearing down the buildings would probably cost the school board more money than it has in its budget this year which is why its still standing. I wouldn’t support giving the property away, but how could anyone justify letting a piece of property just sit vacant, costing us tax dollars, while there is a willing buyer that is asking only $100k less than the asking price? And Mr. May is absolutely right about the cost of our youth ending up in jail. The largest consumer of our tax dollars is the Sheriff’s Department. You can count me in on the list of people asking Mr. Thomas to bite the bullet and sell for $1M so they can provide a valuable service to that area of our community.
Mr. May, I hope you and your brother win on this. Supt. Thomas, wouldn’t the children who reside in that district do much better IN school if they have a better support system when they are not in school? Everyone’s tax dollars have paid for this. Currently, it’s an eyesore. Lease it to them for a buck a year, or givie it to the curch outright. Let them spend their hard-earned money on renovations and programs.
This building is located next to a dump, no way is it worth a million dollars property value is not what they were 2 years ago, the building should be torn down, thats why it closed it was in such bad shape Is this the same building that has enviromental problems,
Reminds me of some yard sales I have gone to where the seller thinks his junk is really, really valuable and they stand firm until the interested buyer walks away. Then they end up donating it all anyway.
Joe, they are offering to flat out but it.
To clarify: is the church offering to buy the building for $1 million, or offering to spend $1 million on the building if the district lets them have it?
I think we should sell it for $1M. The school board’s decision seems pretty simple to me, take $1M for the property or let it sit there and forgo $1M that will have to be cut from next year’s budget because of declining school population. They have already cut back on support staff and teachers in elective subjects. What do you think is next?