Chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners Skip Alston said on Tuesday, June 6, that it’s time the cities of Greensboro and High Point, and all Guilford County’s towns, to help fund Guilford County Schools.
Alston said the cities and towns benefit from that service, that school needs are outgrowing Guilford County’s ability to fund those needs, and a change in state law several years ago allows school funding from the cities and towns.
“Greensboro could give $5 million or $6 million,” Alston said. “High Point could give $5 million or $6 million. The towns could give something. We are all in this together.”
Alston said that, after this current county budget is put to bed in a week or so, he’s calling a meeting of the mayors in the county to get everyone on board with a plan to share the responsibility of funding the schools.
Alston’s statement to the Rhino Times came after a long June 6 Board of Commissioners work session at which school officials continued to ask for $101 million in additional money for operations over last year, while the commissioners discussed how much more to give the schools.
Right now, it’s anyone’s guess and Alston said that they will get something over the county manager’s recommended $0 increase, but it would not be anywhere even close to what school officials were asking.
Earlier this year, Alston encouraged school officials and members of the public to put more pressure on the state to give more money to school systems– and, starting with the fiscal 2024-2025 budget, he wants to see funding coming from the cities and towns.
The meeting of mayors, which will take place after July 1 when the new fiscal year begins, will be, Alston said, a continuation of his “One Guilford” initiative, which attempts to get all the local governments in Guilford County to work together to solve various problems.
He also said that, at the meeting, he is going to push for a new sales tax increase to be put on the ballot.
“That would raise $20 million a year,” Alston said, “and we could use the money to raise salaries.”
Alston said he knows a sales tax referendum has failed every time it’s been put on the ballot in Guilford County. However, he added, if all the mayors and town leaders work together, they will be about to convince citizens to vote in the new tax.
Skip really how do you sleep at night knowing how you have been fleecing the taxpayers for years. Take back the 1.5 million of our money you just gave the racist mwbe program and put that toward the school budget then give back all the tax dollars given to you for your downtown money pit, then and only then should you make a plea to the cities and towns for help. As far as the sales tax increase pound sand up your behind. Quit wasting our tax dollars you pompous a&&
Oh my God…. these people have a lot of nerve, don’t they? The guy responsible for imposing a TWENTY PERCENT hike in our property tax last year still has his begging bowl out. There will never, ever, be enough money for Skip and the socialists.
Years ago, former County Commissioner Carolyn Coleman publicly lamented that “We never seem to find enough money for Guilford County Schools”.
How right she was…
What about all the money from the North Carolina education lottery where is that going? I thought the schools got money from our taxes that we pay both city and county. We the people are already supporting the schools with our tax dollars.
20% mine was 30% not to mention my home ins. went up also
—– And don’t forget the $1,700 Million ($1.7 BILLION) they just got passed as a bond for “educayshon”.
The “educators” are drowning in money.
Don’t believe their propaganda about underpaid teachers. And don’t believe their Left wing apologists and propagandists, like the FOX8 TV liberals and their “What’s Right With Our Schools” puff pieces.
Skip never met a tax he did not like.
Asking for things and getting them and entirely different. At least in my opinion.
Sure, let’s throw more money at a Education System that continues to fail our children.
Lol…Skip still wanting more and more and more….for the same results.
No new taxes. We are overtaxed already. I do agree with Alston about the cities contributing to schools, that is only fair. I recall when combining county and city schools together was put before the voters. I voted against the merger because of the problems it would create, which it has. The wording on the ballot was very confusing by design to get the merger passed. Now it is time for Greensboro and High Point to step up.
Mo money. They’ll never get enough money.
Hey, Skippy, take your begging to the NC Education Lottery and leave the already tax-exhausted residents alone.
Absolutely never will I vote for more money under the control of the current cast of characters. Never. Clean house.
How many BILLIONS did they just pass in bonds? hahaha
“…for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.”
What we are witnessing is what the vocal minority has been striving for. This is the kind of thing the (National Socialist) Democrat Party and their various lackeys have been covertly, now blatantly, working towards, that being converting schools from places of learning to indoctrination centers.
They need more money? Then the first place that needs to be cut in the County budget is Commissioner salaries. They want to be “servants of the people” so why do they need those salaries? Put them on an expense account that is visible to We the People. There also needs to be a close look at the overall County budget and cut out those things that do not directly affect those that pay into it. Additionally, GSO and High Point need to be paying “their fair share”. Take a headcount of on the ratio of County vs. City children and do a comparison on who is paying what.
Every time something like this happens everyone…EVERYONE needs to keep in mind this old jingle…”You asked for it, you got it.”
They are all county children.
Where is the 1.7 billion bond money & the lottery money gone?
No better time for a tax increase than just after a twenty percent tax increase.
We need to bring back tar and feathers!!!
GCS is wasting 56 million on proposed school in Colfax , when Colfax elementary has laid off teachers due to low enrollment! Does this make any sense ?? .. They want more money all the time , because they mismanage it . Why don’t they pay their teachers better and fix the redistricting so the schools are even . Andrews school is a ghost town , while SW is overcrowded??? Poor site selection in Colfax and paying 100,000 a acre for land !!!! GCS IS A MONEY PIT !!! Hold them accountable!