City schools plead case for funding
By Kathi Keys
Staff Writer, The Courier-Tribune
ASHEBORO - Asheboro City Schools pleaded their need for school construction
funds before the Randolph County Board of Commissioners Tuesday afternoon.
The joint special meeting, requested by the city school system, came
12 days after a similar session was held between Randolph County Schools
and the commissioners.
County commissioners are scheduled to readdress the schools' capital
projects requests at their next regular meeting scheduled for Jan. 3.
Asheboro City Board of Education Chairman Steve Jones opened the meeting
discussion by noting that city school officials heard that their system's
school construction requests could be delayed.
He also said the board fully supports the Certificates of Participation
(COPS) financing method instead of a 2005 county bond referendum which the
commissioners initially agreed to in September. COPS does not require voter
approval.
"We want to communicate very strongly that our needs are no less
important than across the county," Jones stated. "Any delay creates
additional cost for the taxpayers of Randolph County."
He was referring to statements which resulted from the Dec. 9 session
between county school officials and commissioners about the possibility
of the county proceeding initially with a new northeastern Randolph County
high school through the COPS financing method rather than a 2005 county
bond issue.
Capital project requests of city schools and Randolph Community College
would be honored at a later date, possibly in conjunction with a statewide
public school bond referendum which is now being talked about at the state
level.
Asheboro Schools Superintendent Dr. Diane Frost reviewed the city schools'
$7.7 million request, which includes additions at Guy B. Teachey Elementary
and North Asheboro Middle, the only elementary and middle schools having
room to expand, plus renovations at Asheboro High School.
She noted that Balfour and Charles McCrary elementaries are both out
of capacity, with three mobile units at both schools. She also said nearly
20 percent of elementary students would be taught in mobile classrooms by
2011 if there wasn't more space.
During the discussion, Commissioners Vice Chairman Darrell Frye said
the county high schools are "70 percent overcrowded now" with
48 mobile classrooms in use. He pointed out that Trinity High has some 1,400
students in a school built for 800. "There's no way to address that
now," he said.
Frye also noted that if there wasn't a separate tax district for the
Archdale-Trinity area that the solution, instead of a facility in the northeastern
section, would be to build a new high school in the northwestern New Market/Sophia
area to relieve both Trinity and Randleman high schools which are the most
crowded.
"There is more than one reason for the suggestion and that is a
very real need," he said about delaying funding of the city schools'
request until a later date.
A large part of Tuesday's discussion centered around the possibility
of a state bond issue. Meeting participants said the move is supported by
state associations representing school boards and administrators as well
as county commissioners iand the State Board of Education.
The last statewide bond referendum for public schools, in 1996, required
counties to provide matching funds to receive the state construction money.
Any monies spent during the 1992-2003 period for school construction applied
to that match.
It worked to the benefit of Randolph County, since it was in the midst
of building several schools at the time. For example, Asheboro schools were
entitled to some $6 million almost immediately because of more than $7 million
spent by the county on projects.
However, no one was certain Tuesday how a future state bond issue, possibly
as early as November 2006, would be structured.
City school officials repeatedly told commissioners about the need to
proceed with school construction projects in case the same matching fund
procedure is used through the next state bond. "If you are going to
delay, you're slowing down the ability to meet the match," Frost noted.
"We'll be in a better position to leverage the dollars available
to us," Frye said about delaying all but the county's fifth high school.
He also noted that regardless of whether the commissioners decide to proceed
with COPS financing or a bond issue that January 2006 is the earliest any
county money is available for the projects.
Commissioner Phil Kemp asked city school officials about the feedback
they've received concerning a county bond issue. The response was that city
voters traditionally support bond referendums.
According to the commissioners' action in September to proceed with a
bond referendum, the city's $7.7 million request would be placed on the
ballot with the county schools' single high school request of $27 million.
RCC's $9 million request would be a separate measure on the ballot.
Jones concluded the nearly hour-long discussion by stating, "We
believe we have some critical needs which need to be addressed."
Commissioners Chairman Harold Holmes replied, "We will be considering
this at our January meeting. The time approaches to do something."
Copyright 2002, Stephens Media Group
|