School Renovation discussion
After a hiatus because of a serious family illness, I hope to be back with some regularity beginning now.
Yesterday’s Board of Education meeting was a long one but one which was again overdue. The rumor about the Board of Commissioners giving the school system another $6 million was squelched. Simply stated there has been no new money made available to the school system. There IS a plan whereby some borrowing capacity by the commissioners MIGHT be available to support a well developed plan by the schools with the following caveat: The MAJORITY of the funds need to be spent at Northwood High School.
That caveat was not lightly issued but was made after the Board of Education and The Board of Cimmissioners jointly toured all three high schools as well as two elementary and one middle school in May and June. Simply stated, Northwood has some very serious capacity problems which will remain for some time to come. The Town of Pittsboro which is not affected by any county building moratorium has already approved 300 homes. That construction may begin very soon upon lifting the sewage restriction as their improved plant comes on line.
That fact plus the wear and tear on the school itself simply dicates to me as one board member we need to help that school with some serious money WHEN AND IF it becomes available. That is not to say the other schools in the district don’t need funds to take care of important issues, a number of which were offered last evening.
Somehow and by some as yet unknown rumor monger, word was passed on the street that one lady who favors Northwood because her children attend there was to head a committee for the purpose of putting all the money IF AND WHEN it becomes available into Northwood. That is a false statement! Yesterday I received 31 emails between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. when I left for another appointment and 6 phone calls all about that rumor.
That lady probably has forgotten more about the Chatham County schools than most of us will learn in a lifetime! Her ideas and her passion for improving all schools cannot be questioned by anyone who knows her background and her ability to get things done. Like Ed Asner said on his TV show years ago, “She’s got spunk”. He went on to say, “I like spunk”. I truly wish we had more citizens like her who had the guts to speak out about what is wrong with our schools. We hear what is right from the central office staff but my eyes and ears tell me the opposite in many instances. She is just as concerned about all schools as anyone can be and I urge those who have not paid close attention to her words to do so before tarring her.
The outcome of the long discussion about school improvement was that the superintendent is to contact each principal and advise them the Board of Education wants a prioritized, well thought out list of five major places where some of the money (IF AND WHEN AVAILBLE) might best be utilized. The principals will select a committee from teachers, parents, housekeepers or anyone else they want for input. That list is to be made available without massaging by the central office when two members of the Board of Education and a small group of concerned citizens visit each school on and after 1 August 2007. There is not to be any delay in that date. Those individual school priorities will be reviewed by this small group and recommendations will be made for taking to the Board of Commissioners.
It is hoped by keeping the lists small and reasonable a doable, timely plan can be developed which helps offset some of the academic, health and safety issues every school has.
Gerald Totten