Same Old Song

by John Davis - June 23rd, 2006 - Editorial Opnion

Bertie Board of Education 06-07 Budget
– Same Old Song

At the last Bertie BOE meeting, I was surprised to hear the term “woefully inadequate” used to characterize the planned 10% increase in current expense funding. In 25 years of building business budgets I never had the luxury of being given a 10% spending increase over the prior year. So, please excuse me if I take exception to anyone who might throw rocks at the county commissioners for providing a 10% current expense increase. When you add the debt service increase the county will spend on education in 06-07, the 06-07 school budget increase is close to 50% more than the original 05-06 budget.

The current education leadership has not proven they can be strategic in their management of our funds, so I would assume they would be thrilled to receive a 10% increase. I am sure the county commissioners will reward future educational improvement with more support, but the educational leadership track record to date has not earned the 10% that has been benevolently bestowed for 06-07. Keep in mind current BOE leadership as recent as the 04-05 school years spent $1.3 million QZAB dollars to repair the facilities at Askewville ($512 thousand) and JP Law ($770 thousand) knowing they were going to close them. Debt service on these now idled and non teaching facilities will cost the county $70 thousand in debt service each year until the 15 year note is paid. This is the same leadership that failed to curtail expenses in the face of declining enrollment and reduced the educational system balance fund by more than one million dollars in a two year period. This is the same leadership that has a $125 thousand house on White Oak Road that still sits unauthorized & underutilized. How many science kits, SAT prep courses, and other programs could have been obtained with the better use of these funds?

Bertie County per student (federal, state, and local) spends in the top 25% of the school systems in North Carolina while performing in the bottom 10% academically. Utilization of resources and not a wholesale lack of resources appear to be the issue. Once we get proper paybacks out of existing resources we will have a better justification for asking for more resources than the outstanding 10% amount given for next year.

The only thing woefully inadequate in education in Bertie County is leadership. I can’t wait for December and the new Board. I hope to go to BOE meetings next year and hear discussions and updates on specific programs that are going to increase the test scores and learning for our children. In the mean time, I commend the Bertie County Commissioners for a 10% increase in current expense funding for education.

John H. Davis