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From: Ruth Dial Woods
Date: 11 Mar 2004
Time: 06:24:14 -0500
Remote Name: 172.143.71.79
It never fails in political season that the candidates get wound up and ready to go into action. Seven years after a bond issue, the members of the Board of Education of the Public Schools of Robeson County get a report on the expenditure of bond funds. Unfortunately, the bond funds have been expended and it's too little too late to start crying, "Foul." Each year school principals are asked to submit reports and lists of maintenance needs (or at least they used to be asked to do this). Consistently, the needs were greater than the funds, and as always in Robeson County, the wheel that squeaked the loudest got their list shortened. There are two major problems with the issues raised at the meeting of the Board last Monday night: 1. The Board should have been monitoring the progress of the expenditure of bond monies long before the end of the projects. Although the prioritized list was done seven years ago, the list should have been re-prioritized each year based on changing needs. The list could have been (and should have been) re-prioritized each year over the seven-year period if dramatic changes and population shifts are occurring. Failure to do so maintained "deals that had been cut by the private firm doing the needs assessment, the two superintendents involved, and Board members." That's why there were changes on the Board - the people wanted change but to adopt and carry out previous administration goals did little to change if the plan was adopted,implemented, and then questioned. When Boards change districts and district lines, of course population shifts are going to occur - that's why they change district lines! Why did the Board members have to wait until the audit to find out that they were conducting business in the wrong way? The actions over now, the money has been spent, and to complain now - "it's too little, too late!" What is the Board training and annual participation in national association and state associations used for? It would appear their training is inadequate to meet their needs when some of these members have years of experience as members of the Board. Hopefully the Board will start relying on those who meet the rubber at the road every day - the principals and teachers, who best know their needs, and then by oath of office, prioritize preventive maintenance needs as well as new construction needs for the benefit of students, not new tennis courts, stadiums, and those frills and perks. STUDENTS IN ROBESON COUNTY NEED THE BASICS AND THEY NEED TO STAY IN SCHOOL TO GRADUATE. 2. Eight months after school starts, the Assistant Superintendent for maintenance assures the Board that the staff will go out and look into the problems. Why should the Board have to identify the problems when there is a maintenance staff responsible for working on these problems on a continuing basis? Admittedly, the staff cannot undertake problems without directions from their superiors, but it appears their superiors aren't doing their job when they have to ask the County (that doles out our taxes for schools) to do inspections for them to make a decision about whether or not an emergency exists. If the County is going to assume this role, then why do we need the Assistant Superintendent and his staff? Maybe the school; district needs to look at outsourcing their maintenance----think that will catch their attention? The fact that it is political season should not demand the attention of Board members -their attention is needed in season as well as out of season.