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The committee created to oversee the creation of two memorials for the Dozier School of Boys, a reform school with a hundred year history of reported child abuse, met Tuesday to begin selecting artists.

55 remains were found at the Dozier School for Boys in an excavation in 2013.

40 are former students that many survivors suspect died from abuse.

Committee members suggested any memorial should educate the public about the history of the school.

“Eduction to remind people that school existed for 111 years,” said Dozier survivor and Dozier Memorial and Monument Review Committee member Capt. Bryant Middleton.

The group narrowed down a list of 67 candidates to fewer than five.

One memorial will be built on the grounds of the State Capitol.

The other is to be constructed on the Dozier campus in Mariana.

The total cost of the project is expected to be around half a million dollars according to officials with the Department of Management Services.

But as the new monuments are considered a living piece of Dozier history known as the White House, where beatings at the school were alleged to have taken place, is falling into ruin.

“It is a memorial for a lot of us boys that was taken there and beat,” said Dozier survivor Charlie Fudge.

Photos taken of the White House on Monday show that the grass is overgrown and apparent structural damage to the roof.

“The doors, you can’t lock them,” said Dozier survivor James ‘Harley’ DeNyke.

In 2018 the 1,400 acre school property was handed over to Jackson County at no charge, but on the condition that the county would maintain and memorialize the White House and a grave site known as Boot Hill.

“All they have to do is take care of a little building and a little cemetery and that’s not too much to ask,” said Dozier survivor Roy Conerly.

Dozier survivors tell us the county and the state are feuding over who should foot the bill for the repairs.

“Who’s got jurisdiction? Who’s going to own up,” said NeNyke.

The final picks for the memorials are expected to be made in December, but it may take another legislative session to hammer out the details of the White House repairs.