The Bladen County Youth Focus Project along with Paul R. Brown Leadership Academy staff, parents and students were in attendance at the Bladen County Board of Commissioners meeting Monday evening. The Board of Commissioners received a request from Dr. Robert Taylor about the Bladen County Schools’ property which was of interest to Bladen County Youth Focus Project and the local charter school.
According to Bladen County Manager, Greg Martin, the request from Dr. Taylor was the county’s interest in obtaining a small piece of property at the location on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive now housing the Paul R. Brown Leadership Academy.
According to Martin the land in question is less than an acre. The request from Taylor stated, “If the Board of Commissioners declines the opportunity to purchase property, the Board of Education will execute a deed conveying the property to Bladen County Youth Focus Project Inc. upon the terms and conditions set forth in their resolution passed at the April 2017 board meeting.”
Martin stated the school had agreed to deed the land to the Bladen County Youth Focus Project for about $10, almost nothing. The land deeded to the community corporation must be used for education according to a resolution between the local school board and the corporation.
Ms. Minnie Price addressed the commissioners on behalf of the Bladen County Youth Focus Project. She stated the land will be used for educational purposes. “The land has a gym on it and the children use that gym everyday,” Price said.
Commissioner Chairman Charles Ray Peterson said, “I’m going to say something and it may not be popular, but at these dire times I don’t think the school system should be giving anything away.”
The vote did pass unanimously for the county not to bid on the land, but for the land to be deeded to Bladen County Youth Focus Project as the Bladen County Schools had agreed.
Read the request and resolution by Bladen County Schools, click here.
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