HALIFAX — Education was the talk of the town Monday morning as representatives from the county’s school districts and Halifax Community College attended the Board of Commissioners meeting.  

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Deborah Armstrong, vice president for Administrative Services at the college, presented the HCC 2008-2009 fiscal year budget for approval, which was granted.

Representatives from the Roanoke Rapids Graded Schools District attended to hear Weldon City Schools give its pitch to be awarded a new high school. Weldon representatives had been present during RRGSD’s presentation at the board work session in October.  Both districts are anxious to get even a hint on which way the board may decide on where the next new school in Halifax County will be built.

During the October work session, Halifax Board Chairman Gene Minton told the competing school boards that the county would make a decision by Jan. 9, after all presentations were heard.

Dr. Pattie B. Cotton, chairman of the Weldon City Schools Board, opened the Weldon presentation with an impassioned plea to get the next school.

Weldon Superintendent Elie Bracey III presented the Weldon board’s argument citing several past reports, dating back to 1997. Of particular interest was an Educational Facilities Capital Improvement Plan that called for replacing Manning Elementary School in RRGSD and Weldon High School — the two schools being argued over now.

That report, using 1996 dollars, showed the two new schools, as well as renovations and additions to 12 others (and including the replacement of Davie Middle School, Inborden Elementary, Andrew Jackson Elementary and Enfield Middle, all of which have been replaced) all for a grand total of $73 million.

The RRGSD report in October called for renovating one elementary school and building another totaling $27 million in 2008 dollars. Weldon’s proposal for the new Weldon High School is estimated at $29.6 million.

Bracey pointed out the 1997 plan, which was to be funded by a state wide bond referendum, also called for $3 million to be set aside for building a new Weldon High School, the discontinuation of Andrew Jackson Elementary and converting the old Weldon High School to a middle school.

Bracey then noted a 2007 study, by the School Planning Section of the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, evaluated Manning Elementary, Weldon High and Eastman Middle. He pointed out a section that called for extensive renovations to Weldon High, to make it a “21st century school.”

What Bracey did not point out were other recommendations in the same report that said, “constructing a new replacement school for only 400 high school students is not economically or educationally feasible,” and also called for consolidating students from other districts into a larger high school.

Bracey has contacted the N.C. Department of Public Instruction.  State Superintendent June St. Clair Atkinson answered with a letter saying the report should not be used to evaluate the need for replacing Weldon High School, which all parties have acknowledged needs to be replaced.

Bracey then cited a Halifax County Educational Facilities Capital Improvement Planning Committee report from July 18, 2007 that was put together by representatives from the three school districts, Halifax Community College and the Halifax County management team.

Using a matrix provided by that report, Bracey showed there was a consensus agreement that Weldon High School should be the next school replaced.

He then introduced Robbie Brax of M.B. Kahn Construction Management Company, who presented his company’s plan for building onto the existing Weldon High School, while keeping several of the best existing features — the price tag would be $29.6 million.

When the presentations were complete, Commissioner Rives Manning asked Bracey, “Do you know someone with a money tree that has around $73 million on it?”

Commissioner Carolyn Johnson questioned the enrollment at Weldon High School, which Bracey said was currently at 322 students.

He pointed out that there are currently 59 seniors and 82 freshmen, supporting a gradually increasing student body. 

Chairman Gene Minton waited as the other commissioners asked questions and ended the discussion by saying, “We’re going to do the best we can. Part of our job is to build schools and a $30 million school is going to call for a substantial tax increase.”

Other board actions Monday:

• Declared two county vehicles as surplus, to be sold at public auction

• Interim Economic Development Director Cathy Scott reported Window Fashion Resource owner Don Yauger has finalized a financing package and will soon be ready to begin preparations to open a new plant in Littleton.