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Charlotte County staff say the changes have been made and a new contract negotiated for the Central High Museum. All they need now is approval from the museum’s board. 

Back in November, the museum board came before county supervisors, asking for a larger extension than the one being offered by Charlotte. That original proposal was just a five-year lease, with the chance to be approved for another five at the end. The museum board members argued that with a short lease like the one proposed, there’s a chance they could be forced in 10 years to pick up and relocate again. That already happened once, in 2016, when the museum was required to move out of the main building of the original Central High School. Instead, they were made to relocate to the museum’s current home, in what used to be the school’s bus shop and agriculture building, located at 515 Thomas Jefferson Highway. Already required to move the museum once, its board members are hesitant about signing any lease that doesn’t provide security and stability. 

The board wants the security of a long-term lease, much like the Museum of Charlotte County has, so when people come into the county to see the exhibits and go through the preserved documents, the address on the brochure, tv ad or other marketing material remains the same. The Museum of Charlotte County, meanwhile, has a 30-year lease at $1 a year, with an automatic 30-year renewal. That’s what the Central High folks wanted and that’s what it looks like they’ll get. 

The new Central High Museum proposal 

Under the new proposal, the renewal would be for 30 years, with 10-year periods after that. There is also a termination clause in the new proposal. Basically, the museum board would have to be defunct, no longer operational before that clause takes effect. Even under those circumstances, the museum would be given time to reconstitute a new board, before being asked to leave. The one request that the museum board didn’t get was about insurance. They had asked the county to carry them on the policy. This proposal would make insurance still up to the museum board to pay for. 

Created in 1997, the Central High Museum was housed in the once segregated original school building. The land for the school was originally donated to the Black community by a Black citizen of Charlotte County, so that Black children in the area would have a place to go to school. Now in its current location, the museum houses more than 2,500 artifacts on display, detailing more than just what happened inside the school. Some of the material highlights the accomplishments of Central High alumni, from doctors to lawyers, teachers and civic leaders in Charlotte County and beyond. In 2020, the school was designated as part of the Civil Rights Education Heritage Trail.