Five members of the Board of Commissioners are scheduled to tour the Clark Street Elementary School on Monday, June 9 at 11:00 a.m.
This announcement comes on the heels of a presentation by Vance County Board of Education Chair Margaret Ellis regarding school construction and facility needs.
According to Ellis, the commissioners have been given the information “many times”, but costs have gone up since they were first given it.
Ellis told commissioners that if the original time line had been followed that the schools would already be built.
The Vance Board of Education chair allowed two parents of students at the Clark Street Elementary School to speak during her alloted fifteen minutes of public comment presentation time.
Nicky Hargrove told commissioners that “the general atmosphere takes away a strong desire from learning”. She noted dirty, cracked ceilings, bathroom stalls that will not close, and rushed lunch periods because the cafeteria is also used as a gymnasium and an auditorium.
Clark Street is generally acknowledged by school system personnel to be the school is most dire need. The facility dates from 1928 and currently has more classes in mobile units than in the building itself.
Parent Betsy Ellis invited commissioners to go to Clark Street and “see what we’re talking about”.
Dr. Larry Webb, principal of Eaton-Johnson Middle School told commissioners that both middle schools are challenged for space.
Both middle schools have had enrollments topping 1,000 students in recent years.
Commissioner Deborah Brown noted to Ellis that when she was first elected to the County Commission that a referendum was done for funds to build the last three elementary schools. She asked if the Board of Education has requested a bond from the Board of Commissioners.
“We’re way past putting this to the voters,” Ellis responded.
According to Ellis, a bond referendum was requested on December 27, 2004. She noted that the Board of Commissioners did not respond to the request.
“The buck stops there,” Brown said.
Commissioner Terry Garrison told Ellis that he supports the construction of a new Clark Street Elementary School. However, he added several caveats to his support, telling the audience that students would not be walking to school and that they “cannot build a Taj Mahal public school”.
Brown said that she “was prepared to go ahead [with a referendum]”.
Garrison also asked that the county’s Education Committee be reactivated. A motion to that effect passed unanimously.