Watauga BOE discusses finances

By Caroline Monday

cmonday@mountaintimes.com

Everything was business as usual, as the Watauga County Board of Education convened Monday evening for its regular monthly meeting.

The board moved on several monetary items, and the topic of tuition for out-of-county students reintroduced itself in public comment.

Finance officer Ly Marze requested that the school system cease providing dental benefits to retired employees, since they could receive comparable benefits for little to no additional cost from the state’s retirement program.

Marze said the change would go into effect at the beginning of 2009, and the school system would work to help make the transition as seamless as possible for those affected.

This change will help the school system receive money in the long run, Marze said. She noted that the costs of offering health benefits are ever increasing. All board members except for Ron Henries voted to approve the change.

The board also approved budget amendments allotting additional funds in response to rising fuel costs. Marze said the funds would help ensure that facilities have enough fuel to last the rest of the school year.

About $125,000 in additional funds were allotted to child nutrition to counteract the rising price of food and transportation.

Superintendent Bobbie Short asked the board to approve a change in how the school system’s central office personnel are organized, recommending the addition of a second assistant superintendent.

Under this organizational system, the duties of the assistant superintendents would be split into two categories: curriculum and auxiliary services.

The assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction would oversee staff development, curriculum development, Title I and Exceptional Children’s services and public relations.

The assistant superintendent of auxiliary services would oversee testing, physical operations, child nutrition, transportation and technology. Both would answer to the superintendent.

Short said this layout is one that many school systems have used, including Watauga County at one point.

She told the board that she believed these changes could be made with little additional cost to the school system and would lead to an increased quality of service for students.

“It is my heartfelt belief that we will run a more efficient organization,” Short said.

The board voted unanimously to approve the request.

The school board approved expenditures of about $160,000 for the LEED certification process for the new Watauga High School. This amount covers the fees to be paid to the U.S. Green Building Commission and the design team, as well as the estimated amount needed by the team from Appalachian State University that will be helping with the project.

Through community and university partnerships, the cost of LEED certification for WHS will be roughly half the cost otherwise.

The county commissioners had already approved the proposed costs, and the board followed suit with an unanimous approval.

School board hopeful Joni Horine came before the board to introduce a way to potentially provide more affordable housing for teachers. Horine brought to the attention of the board a project in Dare County in which the Dare County Education Foundation received an interest-free loan from the State Employees Credit Union.

The foundation used that money to build an apartment complex for county teachers, with their rent going toward the payment of the loan.

Horine noted that the availability of affordable housing is a problem in the area. Board chair Lowell Younce noted that the local housing situation can create an obstacle, as the school system works to recruit quality teachers.

Though the possible project is still being investigated, Horine said she has spoken to representatives at the Watauga Education Foundation and to N.C. Sen. Steve Goss and N.C. Rep. Cullie Tarleton, who have all expressed interest in the possibility.

A small contingent from the Blowing Rock area came out to express concern over the possibility of a tuition being charged to students who live in other counties but attend school in Watauga County.

Current school board policy states that the school system may charge tuition to such students, charging as much as the calculated cost of educating each student.

This policy has been on the books for several years, but has never been enacted due to an old “gentlemen’s agreement” between Watauga and the surrounding counties. Recent changes in the student reassignment policy brought the issue to light, inciting much public concern.

Owen Tolbert of Blowing Rock spoke to the board on behalf of his family and others in the Blackberry area, located near Blowing Rock. Families in the Blackberry community have traditionally sent their children to the nearby Blowing Rock School, though they technically reside in Caldwell County.

Tolbert said that tuition charges would lead to hardships in his family and to many others in that community.

Yvonne Myers, a resident of the Blackberry community, said she had sent both of her children to school in Watauga County. She only recently learned that she, in fact, lived outside of that school district when she requested, and was denied, busing service for her daughter, a high school student.

“There are quite a few of us who are shocked by the whole thing,” Myers said.

Younce said the board was still in discussions regarding the tuition issue and plans to make a decision in coming months. He promised on behalf of the board that members would take “careful consideration” as they proceed to make a decision.

“I think we, as a board, and the administration want to sit down with the other counties … and come to a reasonable agreement.