January, 2007

Raleigh News and Observer

http://www.newsobserver.com/691/story/532204.html

Financing schools

The Wake County commissioners are at a critical junction. One path is to let the issue of year-round schools become a growing source of contention between the school system and county commissioners. The other path is to vigorously support the state House's Subcommittee on School Construction Funding's recommendations for increased funding for all North Carolina public schools.

That committee's proposals on local empowerment would supply enough additional revenues to eliminate the need for mandatory year-round schools. But those proposals will take time to be enacted. In the meantime the commissioners, as a stopgap measure, could find the necessary funds from their own non-school operating and construction budgets by delaying other efforts.

Wake's non-school operating budget for 2007 is about $1 billion. The non-school construction budget totals over $200 million between now and 2010. Over half of it is in pay-as-you-go projects that could be converted to bonds in a 10 to 1 ratio. The extra cash could go a long way.
During the 2006 campaign, Chairman Tony Gurley took a statesmanlike position by stating he would support any size bond for which the school board asked. It's time for the school board to define the added funds necessary to cut back on year-round schools and for Gurley to remember his promise. As he has pointed out, there will be other bonds in the future. Now is the time for Wake County leaders to heal the wound that threatens those future bonds.

Stan Norwalk
Cary