The Bladen County Board of Commissioners were asked to approve another $200,000 worth of funding for Bladen County Schools by Superintendent, Dr. Robert Taylor, but many in the room were not receptive to the proposal from Taylor. According to Taylor the State budget has yet to come in. He explained the $200,000 funding from the county would be allocated as follows:
– Driver’s Education: $80,000. (The state is still slated to eliminate these funds.)
– Teacher Supplies & Materials. $40,000. (According to Taylor the district has eliminated this from the local budget but our schools continue to face a need for materials to teach children.)
– Teacher Supplement: $80,000. (According to Taylor the School Board has committed to keeping teacher supplements at the same level.)
Taylor said, “We have reduced the teachers supplies, reduced staff, workshops, travel expenses, postage expenses, food expenses, janitorial supplies, maintenance and field maintenance. I will be bringing a consolidation proposal to the board at the September meeting for the public to provide feedback. Through consolidation of the schools we will eliminate a lot of these issues.”
Commissioner Blanks said, ” Bladen County can not fund 13 schools. We just passed the budget and I do not see how we can come back tonight and find another $200,000 for a school system that is administered and run the way it is currently going.”
Chairman of the Board, Charles Ray Peterson said, “I served on the school board for 12 years and I have always tried to support education. It’s getting harder and harder to financially support the education system.”
The commissioners discussed the new tax rate being raised eight cents because of funds needed to build the state mandated jail. Commissioners Peterson and Blanks were in agreement the tax payer dollars can not pay for the new jail and the school system’s extra budgeting needs.
Community member and long time tax payer, Terry Curry, came with his wife and addressed the Board of Commissioners with his concerns of the School Board’s spending. Curry said, “It seems the cost of educating kids has gone up, but the education has gone down. Our schools have a 40% average or a “C” or even less.”
He asked a series of rhetorical questions, “Did they not have a budget that had been approved? Could they not see ahead they needed $200,000? A month or two months ago, they came here and I think they asked for $300,000 or $400,00. Did they not see they were going to come up short?”
Curry continued, “I am asking you all to look closely at the school district and why they can’t seem to stay on a budget. There is a problem somewhere and it doesn’t have to do with money. Maybe it is we need to get students involved, but it doesn’t have to do with money.”
Curry ended by saying, “In reference to them closing down schools, I was in commercial construction for 40 some years, if the building isn’t used within 3 years it is going to cost you a whole bunch of money to get it up and running again.”
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