Wake County Taxpayers Association
NEWS RELEASE / PRESS CONFERENCE October 1, 2003
We've called this Press Conference to state our position on the School Bond Issue to be voted on next Tuesday, October 7th. Our position is that we support quality education and the provision of adequate facilities. We support the hard-working teachers in our public schools and genuinely appreciate the task that they face in their efforts to educate today's youth to redeeming standards.
We have supported bond issues in the past, including the most recent bond issue three years ago; however, we do not support the proposed Bond Tax that is facing voters next Tuesday. We believe that there is "A BETTER WAY" to utilize the vast sums of taxpayer's monies than just saying that we need to spend more money.
Those promoting the bond issue are telling taxpayers that no tax increase will be needed if the bond issue is approved. The Wake County Commissioners' Chairman is publicly stating that there will be no tax increase if the bond issue passes ... while trying to scare citizens into thinking there will be tax increases if the bond issue fails. Anyone with slightest intelligence knows that borrowed money must be re-paid. The money borrowed for the bonds must be repaid, with interest; and staff and operational costs for the additional facilities will be a sizable additional expense.
The Wake County Taxpayers Association believes that far too much of the huge schools budget is wasted on bureaucracy rather than funding the needs of the classroom. We chose this site to hold our Press Conference because the handsome facilities behind us here on Atlantic Avenue have not a single classroom ... but are filled with non-classroom administrative offices serve as overflow facilities for additional bureaucracy which the should-be-plenty-adequate administrative office building on Wake Forest Road can't hold.
We, along with great numbers of citizens of the county, are additionally angry that the School Board's priority rests in giving huge pay increases to Superintendent McNeal at a time when classroom funding goes so lacking.
There are other examples of wasteful spending, such as the School Board's ignoring overwhelming opposition from parents and community leaders when the Board, by a 5 to 4 vote, decided to spend large sums to go with a controversial sex education curriculum and purchasing the costly new curriculum materials. The Board voted to drop the abstinence-until-marriage curriculum, which was paid for, and was supported by the vast majority of parents, and was working extremely well.
When, we ask, will the priority for use of our tax dollars become our children who are required to look to public schools because for education since the School Board refuses to support other choices?
Our good citizens are still reeling from the sharp 7% tax increase the Wake County Commissioners burdened taxpayers with four months ago on July 1st ... by a 5 to 2 vote despite the fact that at least two of the five who voted for the tax increase had pledged while campaigning for office that they would oppose tax increases.
The Wake County Taxpayers Association regrets that the Schools Administration, and the School Board have not been willing to abide by their agreement in support of a number of recommendations made by the April 12, 2000 County appointed "Citizens Advisory Committee For School Facilities Planning and Funding" and that the Board of Commissioners have not fulfilled their duty by requiring them to do so before sharply increasing taxes again on our good citizens.
Prior to the decision to vote on the bond issue in 2000, our Association and others recommended that a citizens advisory committee be formed to study facility and funding needs. The "Citizens Advisory Committee for School Facilities and Funding" was appointed by the County Commissioners. The Committee was composed of 31 members, comprising a wide cross section of business leaders, parents, and citizens representing all areas of Wake County. The Advisory Committee acted under the able leadership of Jim Talton, who was appointed the Chair for the Advisory Board.
The Advisory Committee met on a regular basis over a period nine months and considered the viewpoints, comments, and recommendations of all its members and many consultants who were asked to address the Committee and offer recommendations. Beginning from widely divergent views and opinions, the 31 member Committee came together in unanimous support of 28 recommendations.
The Citizens Advisory Committee presented its report and 28 recommendations in a public meeting of the Wake County School Board, the Wake Schools Administration, and the Wake County Board of Commissioners on April 12, 2000. The report and the 28 recommendations were unanimously agreed upon by both the School Board and Board of Commissioners and by the Schools' Administrative leadership.
Based on the belief that the Wake School Board, the Schools' Administrative leaders, and the Wake County Board of Commissioners had pledged to that agreement, the Wake County Taxpayers Association committed its support of, and worked for passage of the bond issue of 2000 which was approved by the voters.
Sadly, we have found that there has been a lack of commitment to carry out a number of the recommendations that were approved ... in what we trusted would be a genuine effort to build consensus.
We have for you today, copies of the Report and Recommendations of that 2000 Citizens Advisory Committee. Recommendations in the agreement that have been ignored are highlighted.
They include:
- The provision of more year-round schools. While there has been a very small increase in the number of year round schools, information provided by a financial officer of the schools' administration in a workshop recently was quite informative. When asked the effect of more year-round schools. She reported to the workshop that if more schools were converted to year-round programs, a bond issue would NOT be needed. She indicated, as an example, that if half the current schools were converted to year-round programs, a savings of some $800 million would be realized.
- Construct some schools less expensively - with only selected non-classroom facilities -but making them magnet schools with unique instructional programs to attract students.
- Deferral of non-classroom facility construction so long as there is a shortage of classrooms.
- Encourage more Charter Schools. The recommendation indicated that the County should petition the State to remove the upper limit cap. Superintendent McNeal, in the recent Charter School public hearing before the County Commissioners, stated his vehement opposition to Charter Schools rather that encouraging more. There are examples of excellent Charter Schools in Wake County, illustrating how Charters can reduce the need for additional public school facilities and provide high excellence in education. There are long waiting lists of parents applying for their youngsters. Additional Charters would save needed funding for public schools, reduce the need for facilities, and cost far less to operate.
- Form A Wake County Public Building Authority. Such an authority would oversee the design, construction, and maintenance of all county facilities, including school facilities. We are particularly alarmed to hear a report that the roofs of some of the newer school facilities are faulty and need repairs estimated to cost some $10 million. The County Commissioners have asked for a full explanation on this and, we understand, have frozen further funding requests while awaiting that explanation. A Public Building Authority likely would have prevented this problem and saved the much needed estimated $10 million.
- Appoint an on-going advisory group to work to monitor the WCPSS's progress on meeting its growth needs. Citizen input, such as that from a wide spectrum of citizens who comprised this committee would be very helpful in building consensus and assuring savings.
The Taxpayers Association opposes next Tuesday's BOND "TAX" We believe there is "A BETTER WAY" We urge voters to vote NO. Voting NO will send the signal that you are tired of tax increases by those who ignore you in making their decisions and who fail to keep their promises.