Chatham County School Daze

The following posts are extracted from the Chatham County Online Bulletin Board:

Are our kids safe in Chatham County schools?

By Gerald Totten
Posted Saturday, August 11, 2007

chathamjournal.com/weekly

This article is also in the current print issue of the Chatham Journal newspaper

Chatham County, NC - Much has been said about one of the Chatham County School’s strategic plan goals, “Healthy Students in Safe, Orderly and Caring Schools.” Every school has made a presentation of its School Improvement Plan designed to convey its interpretation of how it can best meet that goal.

After excellent presentations by the contracted architects and the soil and wetlands survey professionals, the Board of Education voted unanimously to procede with the next step in developing the Jack Bennett Road property for a new high school. Several questions remain such as a wider entrance into the property, a professional survey and siting of the various school components and an agreement by Aqua American that they will eliminate their opportunity to return sewage effluent to the site.

What a pleasure to attend a Parent-Teacher-Student Association meeting last night with every chair filled! I didn’t count the attendees but the multi-purpose room was packed, a fact I’d like to see at every PTSA meeting I attend. Only through such well-conducted meetings and participation by the members and guests can sincere, effective dialog be had. Thanks to everyone who made that meeting last night.

We then were entertained by an exuberant chorus of youngsters with lively songs. The group was well-trained in that there were many hand signals to accompany the singing and every child was synchronized like a Marine Corps drill team. A pleasant addition to the program indeed.

Pittsboro, NC - Facility concerns of Northwood High School as reported in last week’s edition of the Chatham News and Record were fairly reported last week. What is somewhat ludicrous was the spin doctor’s comments attributed to the spokesperson for the school’s central office.

That POD (a unit comprised of several trailers joined to provide classroom spaces) was approved for purchase by the Board of Education last summer. It was supposed to have been occupied by the start of the school year in August but, because of one excuse after another, wasn’t until January of this year.

Very full meeting but disappointing as to attendance. I certainly thought the agenda would have filled the room with interested parents but there were less than a dozen. If discussing how and where we need to build schools, potential redistricting issues and how taxpayers’ money is to be spent has little interest, what would motivate folks to come see the workings of their Board of Educaton?

The public hearing for the proposed budget had only one speaker and her concern was a welcome one. She is a teacher and pointed out a program being administered locally which, in turn, should be kept local. The proposed budget had a $50,000 staff proposal to hire an outside team which her school was running for much less.

Very productive meeting with excellent input from interested citizens. Most of the comments had to do with questions posed about when schools would be built to prepare for the influx of new residents and their own children.

There still seem to be some questions about the funding stream (read where the money will come from to design and build). Both the county and school system’s web sites have charts showing when the funds will be released. Unless the schools ask for a rearrangement or a change in priorities, the earliest any money is scheduled to be released is shown on those charts.

On the Chatham County Bulletin Board this evening, the following question appeared.

——————————————————————————–
Quote from: munn5 on Today at 07:51:44 PM

Mr. Totten (or other school board member), can you verify that county schools are permitted to not meet fire codes, and do not have to remedy unsafe conditions (as found by the fire marshall and health inspector)?

My answer follows:

Principal Mervin Jenkins was host to an open house Thursday as the school allowed tours of the new offices. Horton Alumni, Chatham Education Foundation, school nurses and psychologists now have a home in one of the wings and had a chance to show off their new digs.

Each of the new tenants realizes they may be looking again if and when Horton receives more students but for now, they finally have a place to hang their welcome signs and hats.

If you missed it, Perry Harrison held the event Tuesday night and had a number of interesting exhibits. It was fun watching the various experiments and the youngsters trying their hands at propulsion (Newton Cars), at chemical reactions (blowing up balloons using vinegar and baking soda), making Binary Beads for bracelets and a Mobius loop from paper. Each exhibit held the children’s interest as we moved from station to station.

Two of the highlights were the exhibits by Piedmont Biofuels and the fully equipped BioNetwork Mobile Laboratory. The interest in those two exhibits seemed to stimulate young minds as they learned how science can benefit each of us by seeing the end results.

More on waste handling at Jack Bennett Road site from the Division of Water Quality:

The handling of effluent is still germane and now an explanation of the following quote is appropriate as well: “upon construction of the school, and upon completion of Phase III of the wastewater treatment plant construction.” When will phase III be completed?

—– Original Message —–
From: Nathaniel Thornburg
To: Gerald Totten
Cc: Martin Richmond ; Kim Colson
Sent: Monday, February 19, 2007 9:56 AM
Subject: Re: Governors Club (Aqua North Carolina) and Westfall Development

Mr. Totten,