School Board Delays Budget Vote Meeting

As of Saturday, March 26, 2011

The Moore County Board of Education will take more time to consider $8.2 million in budget cuts for the school system.

The board announced Thursday that the meeting to vote on its 2011-2012 budget, which was originally scheduled April 4, will now take place at 6 p.m. April 11 in the auditorium at Union Pines High School.

Board Chairwoman Laura Lang said in a release that the change allows members more time to consider the comments and suggestions made by parents of Academy Heights students during a public hearing on the budget March 21.

In her budget proposal to the board March 14, Superintendent Susan Purser recommended that Academy Heights, a year-round K-5 elementary school, be retired and the system’s year-round school program be consolidated to two schools in Southern Pines.

The proposal has sparked controversy among parents of Academy Heights students, who repeatedly requested that the board take more time to consider the measure’s potential impact on the school system and the feasibility of finding an alternative to closing the school.

The board approved this year’s budget calendar last June, originally scheduling its vote on the system’s 2011-2012 budget for April 4.

Typically the board meets on the second Monday of the month, but the board moved up the vote because members were expecting to attend the school board conference April 11. Over the school year, the board decided not to participate in the conference, but members originally kept the April 4 meeting date because it had already been announced.

Lang added that the Academy Heights proposal is just one of 20 budget items calling for major reductions that board members must consider, including the loss of 90 positions.

“We want to make sure we have as much time as possible to study all of these proposals before calling for a vote on the budget,” Lang said.

While board members consider the proposed reductions for the school system, they also hope to get a clearer picture of the budget situation at the state level when the N.C. House of Representatives releases its proposed budget in the next week.

The state is anticipating a $2.5 billion shortfall in its budget this year.

Contact Hannah Sharpe at hannah@thepilot.com.

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Alistener 2 years, 1 month ago

I hope the BOE will remember that this is the MOORE COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM, not the Pinehurst School System. The BOE needs to remember that they represent ALL of the taxpayers, not just the vocal minority in Pinehurst. Dr. Purser has said that she will place the AHES teachers and students and I believe her. If closing AHES will really save us money, please do so.

Alistener 2 years, 1 month ago

It is sad that legislators - who often know little about education - think our budget has to be balanced on the backs of children. I wish we were opening new schools and hiring more teachers.

school_teacher 2 years, 1 month ago

I need to comment to clear things a bit. The $90K in "actual" savings is false. It is true that a majority of the $500K that would be saved if the school closes comes from salaries. The part that you are missing is that it does NOT count teacher or assistant salaries. The $500K in savings comes from cafeteria workers, custodians, secretaries and bus drivers that would not need to be rehired. If in fact they were including actual teachers, your number in savings would be MUCH higher because each teacher that is employed with the district, costs the district about $100K per year when you take into account salary, retirement contribution, health benefits and other minor contributions made by the county. The $500K that would be saved if the school were to be closed is actually $500K per year savings to MC. I do admit overcrowding could be a problem in the future but that is not a reason to keep this building open. Future accommodations can and will be made to deal with the influx of new students over the next 5 years.

mollym01 2 years, 1 month ago

school_teacher, Have you called the county office for these numbers? I encourage you to do so. 410,000 of this 500,000 are salaries, this coming straight from the horses mouth. 410,000 also includes a number of assistant teachers that will not have a job next year. There is no way that 3 cafeteria ladies, 2 secretaries,and 2 bus drivers salaries equal to 500,000. I encourage everyone to do their research!

slickwilly 2 years, 1 month ago

School_teacher, You have really done your homework!!!! If that was the case I would drive the school bus in the morning help in the cafeteria for breakfast and lunch. Then I would drive the bus in the afternoon. After I finished taking the children home, I would go and clean the school. I would do that for at least $300,000 and save the county $200,000 a year!

What_ 2 years, 1 month ago

So you are trying to say that 3 cafeteria ladies, 2 secretaries, 2 bus drivers, and 2 custodians salaries equal $410,000, (actually one of the bus drivers work in the cafeteria so that equals 8 people). So that means that these postions make an average of around $50,000 a year!! I know that insurance is involved but come on, think about what you saying school_teacher. I'm sure that $50,000 is more than your salary.

twocentsworth 2 years, 1 month ago

What about the principal and asst principal (if there is one) salaries? That's two positions that may be included in the 410K, that would not be needed, should the school be closed.

buckmark 2 years, 1 month ago

Look on moore county schools web site at how monies are to b spent at each school and you will see that at both Pinecrest and Union Pines they plan to spend $50,000 at each school to make repairs to the rubberized tracks. That money alone could fund AHES for a good while.

mollym01 2 years, 1 month ago

How do you feel about construction for a book and storage area for $150,000 at the county office?

Alistener 2 years, 1 month ago

And I know I'll make people mad with this one, but why are people losing their jobs (assistants, etc.) when expensive sports are in full swing? Couldn't the middle schools at least lay off for one or two years and play intramurals? Yeah, I know sports are important, but priorities, people, priorities.

GeorgiaMan 2 years, 1 month ago

I wish I couI wish stick my head in the sand like so many other people have over the past 3 - 4 years and just not pay attention to what is going on around me. Everyone needs to wake up and look around. this is not a Moore County problem, this is not a State of North Carolinam this is a problem with the entire United States. We thats right We the people have allowed this to happen. We elect idiots who cannot balance a checkbook, but can vote on multi billion projects with no idea how to pay for them. We have budgets that no one pays attention to. We think the Federal Government will solve all of our problems and is a source of unlimited funds. Our current budget woes have been going on for years. We have tried creative tricks to solve the problem, we have tried stimilus money to keep things going - the time to pay the piper is now. If we do not make the tough decisions now at all levels of our government then some else will. We cannot continue to fund our own debt with our own money. We have been on an unsustainale path for decades, and now it is coming back to us in a hurry.

CNMT 2 years, 1 month ago

"Alistener March 27, 2011 at 7:59 a.m. I hope the BOE will remember that this is the MOORE COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM, not the Pinehurst School System."

That is so true - but AHES is not in Pinehurst nor are all the students that attend AHES from Pinehurst. It is a Moore County school and the students that attend are from Moore County. My only problem with this whole issue is the lack of maintenance at the facility over several years and probably several decades. We recently built a new elementary school - West Pine. Are we going to neglecgt it and be back in this same boat in 20 - 30 years???? What about all the other schools? Are they being maintained appropriately to prevent them from being closed due to maintenance issues?

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