Board says 'no' to facilities proposal
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on April 16, 2013 1:46 PM
The Wayne County school board approved a resolution Monday night opposing a measure that would allow school property to be transferred from the control of school boards to county commissioners.
A growing number of school boards across the state are taking a similar stance. The state School Boards Association has distributed the resolution to local boards seeking support against a state Senate bill that would allow commissions statewide to seize control of all school facilities.
Last month Senate Bill 236 passed its first reading and was referred to the Committee on Education/Higher Education.
At the time, school board chairman John Grantham told the News-Argus that he opposed the bill. County Commissioner Chairman Steve Keen has refused to comment on the proposed legislation.
School Superintendent Dr. Steve Taylor read the local resolution, which says that ultimate control of school facilities should be "vested in local boards of education, not county commissioners."
"Public school placement, design and maintenance are integral components of the control and supervision authority that local boards of education have been statutorily assigned," the resolution says.
The resolution also seeks backing from the North Carolina General Assembly.