School board eyes safety, technology
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on November 3, 2015 1:46 PM
Safety, both in the community and on the roads surrounding schools, were among the topics tackled during board comment time at Monday's meeting of the Wayne County Board of Education.
Dr. Dwight Cannon began the discussion, saying he had "mixed emotions" about incidents in recent weeks, locally and around the nation.
As a pastor himself, he said he was saddened to learn of the shooting death of Abdullah Ali Whitaker, the 32-year-old Goldsboro minister who was shot to death.
"I don't know what words to use," he said. "It happens all the time but it really hit me."
He suggested to the schools superintendent the need to partner with such organizations as "Stop the Funeral" in efforts to change the violent climate.
Board member Eddie Radford agreed that there has been a lot of violence, too many deaths of young people.
He offered up his own message in support of law enforcement who have the "tough job" of restoring order and keeping peace.
"I hope I'm speaking for all the board, that we certainly do appreciate the jobs they do for us," he said.
Radford also referenced an editorial he had recently seen, suggesting the need for churches and schools to take action, but said he did not remember seeing parents on that list.
"When do we ask the parents to start doing their part, not only to cut down as far as violence but at least know where your kid is, could help that kid learn more," he said. "I'm sure that most of us in this room, we had a parent or somebody that got on us for not doing our arithmetic or maybe helped us. I'd certainly like to see that start back. I'd like to see the parents take a real active part in helping these kids."
Board Chairman Chris West's safety concern stemmed from calls he had received in recent weeks about the district's two newest middle schools in Grantham and Spring Creek, with a similar issue going on at Northwest Elementary School.
"I don't even think we have a flashing caution school zone light at Northwest," he said. "The one thing about Northwest, if you're coming north on Pikeville-Princeton (Road), you come around that curve and you're on top of that intersection. That speed limit's 55 miles per hour. It's very dangerous. They need to put some caution lights up, school zone markings."
West pointed out an issue on U.S. 13, where the two Grantham schools are located and recently was the scene of a "pretty bad accident."
"That's a congested area in the morning and the afternoon that people aren't used to and haven't got accustomed to yet. As it is there's a lot more traffic down at Spring Creek," he said. "I don't even think the speed limit change (sign) is in front of Grantham nor Spring Creek."
He encouraged board members to talk with representatives Jimmy Dixon, John Bell and Sen. Louis Pate and the Department of Transportation about taking a serious look at the situation.
"I don't know that I've ever been by a school where I didn't see, every school is marked with a school zone sign, flashing yellow lights," West said. "We need to get our representatives' ears and try to see if they can -- it's nothing they need to do a study on. It's a necessity in my opinion and it needs to be addressed ASAP."
Board member Arnold Flowers raised questions about technology, stemming from comments made at one of the recent strategic planning meetings being held at schools around the county.
The vice chairman's rural district, which encompasses Spring Creek schools and Carver Elementary in Mount Olive, is particularly affected by a lack of availability of broadband service, he said.
"If you want electric service in the county, you can live way back off the road and the electric service is required to take you electricity, but Internet service is not required," he said. "If you're not in an area that's convenient for them or profitable for them to carry Internet service, they don't have to."
It used to be that broadband (computer access) was a luxury, Flowers said.
"We've grown into an age where it's more of a utility any more," he said. "It's like water and sewer and electricity. I consider it to be a utility at my house."
Flowers suggested the board consider a resolution or at the very least, lobby legislators for the citizens, that broadband service be provided to everyone.
If technology is not available for students in their homes, particularly in the outlying rural areas of the county, even if a laptop were sent home, they couldn't be used, he said.