A lot of people are working hard to see that the county’s residents vote to pass a $1.7 billion school bond to help pay for repairs and new construction of Guilford County School buildings.
One of those is Chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners Skip Alston. With the process in motion for the referendum to be on the ballot in 2022, Alston has begun a tour of county schools. He plans to tour one school a week in an effort to see firsthand many of the repairs that are needed in Guilford County Schools.
On Wednesday, Dec. 1, Alston, along with Guilford County Commissioner Carly Cooke, took a tour of Page High School. Alston invited local TV and print media along on this trip.
Alston said it’s important for people to see the condition of the schools because many people in the county have no kids or have kids who are grown – so it’s been a long time since they have seen what the schools look like and the condition they’re in.
Alston said his children went to Dudley High School years ago.
“I haven’t been in a school in years and really looked,” Alston said.
He said those who do see the conditions in some county schools will be downright shocked.
Alston got the idea for the weekly tours after a November experience in which he – and other Guilford County officials – got to be “Principal For A Day.” Alston said that when he played principle for a day he was amazed at how many repairs were needed at the school.
At a Guilford County Board of Commissioners meeting last month, Alston gave an impassioned speech to fellow board members on the topic. He said that, given what he had seen of school system needs, he wanted all the commissioners to take tours to have some first-hard views of the problems as well.
Hey Skippy – what about my needs?
I need a new Rolls-Royce. My ashtrays are full.
My only question is why now and not before worried about the next election gotta get your posturing in early to set an example for the stupid people in Guilford county
What I would like to see on a tour of the County schools, is the curriculum.
Does anyone know if this info is available to the taxpayer?
1.7 Billion is too much money. Money for capital improvements of the schools is fine but 1.7 Billion is simply too much of a tax burden. We need to prioritize the investments and trim the total request to something less than 1,000 million dollars (i.e. less than one Billion dollars).
Dead right! There are 68,202 students in the Guilford County public school system (gsnc.com).
$1,700,000,000.00 comes out at $24,926 PER STUDENT. And that’s just what they want to borrow, not including the cash spent from the current annual budget.
No nation in the World spends more money on education (except possibly Switzerland) – but gets such abysmal results. American students consistently rank around 30th in global testing.
What we have here is a grossly incompetent government monopoly. It needs to be broken up without delay, despite all the squealing we’ll hear from the special interests, principally the educators’ labor unions. They’ve got yhemselves a cushy number, and they know it.
But if it’s really “for the children” as they will sell this bond, and if I were a student, I would demand a check for my 25 Grand. Make it out to Austin Morris.
As well as Skip managed his museum project this all should go well.
Brick and mortar Will not improve test scores and discipline problem
King Skippy says they need all this money because of years of neglect. Hey dude how long you been lying to people in local government and filling your pockets up around here. You ARE the reason the schools haven’t gotten anything or for that matter Guilford County as well.
You and your liberal cronies all starting your so-called foundations and running taxpayer monies into your pockets.
Yvonne is right there with you as a top crook and money-grabbing thief.
Guilford County throws more money at the school system than is spent on the various City Police Departments, Sheriff’s Department, and Fire Departments – – – combined. Yet teachers still have to buy some supplies out of their own pockets. Where is all of that money going? Too many high-paid administrators and bureaucrats who don’t educate a single child, and probably some graft involved. Check into that Skippy – – – if you yourself are not personally benefiting!
As a regular visitor, I get to see these “underpaid educators” at their homes. I get to see the cars they drive. I get to see the cars their kids drive. I get to hear about their vacations. I get to see their $3,000 refrigerators.
They are NOT underpaid. They’re good people – generally – but they are certainly NOT underpaid.
Exactly!
Austin Morris is right on top of this mess. Skip’s usual micromanagement on display. This is why you have a school board, regardless of how sorry they are.
Just say NO and don’t give them anything unless they can justify it one cent at a time. They’re accustomed to getting whatever they want “for the children” from Federal, State & Local sources but it’s never enough. I’ll call bovine feces on that. Go take a stroll through the countless top heavy administration and clean out the unnecessary trash for starters.
Thanks, Just Sayin!
Former Guilford county commissioner Carolyn Coleman (D) once publicly complained that “we never seem to find enough money for the schools”.
Ain’t that the truth.