THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, February 2, 1995 TAG: 9502020419
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PERRY PARKS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ELIZABETH CITY LENGTH: Medium: 64 lines
Participants at a public meeting on Wednesday spoke overwhelmingly in favor of doing what needs to be done to stop school overcrowding, even if it means raising taxes to build both a middle and high school in the next few years.
Of the dozen residents who spoke during the first hour and a half of the meeting, most had children in the system and said education was a high priority. They said they were concerned about raising taxes but were more concerned that officials do the job right and plan for the long term.
``Education is the most important thing to me, period,'' said Steven Goff, the father of third- and sixth-graders. ``I want a middle school - tomorrow,'' he half-joked, ``and a high school within three years.''
Goff's remarks, like others similar to his, were met with applause from most of the crowd of about 120 people who assembled at Elizabeth City Middle School to discussconstruction issues.
Members of the Pasquotank County Board of Commissioners and the Elizabeth City-Pasquotank School Board called the public meeting to feel out voters' willingness to fund new school buildings.
Superintendent Joseph Peel laid out the enrollment picture through overheads that showed schools growing well beyond their capacities. County Manager Randy Keaton presented voters with five funding options based on various degrees of construction and two methods of funding.
Building a new middle school would cost around $10 million. A new high school has been projected to cost $15 million or more. Annual debt repayment would depend on the options chosen.
A few people who spoke at the hearing presented alternative suggestions. One recommended that the county require parents to deposit funds for their students' education, a practice not allowed in North Carolina.
College of The Albemarle President Larry Donnithorne, also a parent, said he thought the need for more teachers outweighed the need for new buildings. He said the possibility of scheduling school year-round or doubling up school hours to prevent construction should be considered.
The county is considering issuing a bond referendum to raise money for the construction. It is also looking into a different kind of bond with a higher interest rate that could be spread over more years.
The construction would round out, and perhaps reach beyond, a two-phase, $24 million plan proposed by school officials in December.
The original plan, prepared by Boney Architects of Wilmington, called for $8 million to finish up renovations to the old middle school and to overhaul J.C. Sawyer Elementary dramatically. The school is likely to receive upper-elementary students if nearby H.L. Trigg shuts down.
The second phase recommended construction of a new middle school - estimating a cost of $11 million - and renovations to several elementaries.
Emphasizing an immediate need for new classrooms and a growing distaste for mobile classroom units, county commissioners voted to move up the renovations of Pasquotank, Northside and Central elementaries and shave some frills off the J.C. Sawyer project. The board approved $10 million in spending for this phase last month and is working out financing details.
That left officials with the middle school in the second phase and an awareness that a new high school would be equally crucial within a few years. Planning for the next phase led to the bond referendum discussions that prompted Wednesday's meeting. by CNB