Superintendent Sets Record Straight

Because this article is part of an ongoing dialog with the Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald, it is not being moved to the Inner Banks Eagle, even though it focuses on the school issues. It also addresses how blogs work. Therefore please be warned, some will consider this a partisan article.

by By Cal Bryant - November 26, 2005 - Roanoke-Chowan News Herald

It was a matter of setting the record straight.

Speaking before the Bertie County Board of Commissioners during their public input period at the start of Monday night’s meeting, Bertie Schools Superintendent Dr. Nettie Collins-Hart commended the Board for their commitment of $6 million as the county moves forward to construct an $18.5 million central middle school.

The superintendent’s message this time around was in stark contrast of her remarks during an Oct. 24 meeting of the Commissioners where the Board conducted a public hearing prior to approving the $6 million loan.

The opening sentence in this article, "It was a matter of setting the record straight", is an opinion I do not share. I find it difficult to believe that Superintendent Dr. Collin-Hart's latest comments can be reconciled with her previous attacks on anyone who did not agree to the huge costs of the new middle school.

At least one other piece of information needed by the citizens of Bertie County to understand what is happening is the absolute fact that the median middle school cost in North Carolina is only $12 million, compared with $18.5 million being asked for in our county. Why is Bertie County, with a significantly lower tax base and significantly lower construction costs being asked to build a school 50% fancier than the median middle school in North Carolina?

Since Abe Lincoln, and many other very successful students like genius Tomas Sowell, educator Condoleeza Rice and warrior Colin Powell, received GREAT educations in very poor schools physically, why are we spendiing so much more money on facilities? Are Bertie County and its people so rich that we can spend money at such a profligate rate? Will this money educate a single student better?

Superintendent Dr. Collins-Hart thinks so. I would like to see what we are getting that justifies her spending so much more money than other superintendents are spending.