Bleachers top Clay schools' funding requests
Asking $250,000 for football bleachers

By Carla Gwaltney Owens Sentinel writer

Clay County School Board Members sent a request to Clay County Commissioners asking

$896,000 in funding for the 2007-2008 budget year to cover operational costs for the school system. This is an increase of almost $96,000 from the current year, with a county appropriation of $800,611 for 2006- 2007. The portion of the school system's budget which is provided through local tax dollars does not include teachers' salaries which are provided by the state. The local funds portion of the system's budget has only increased from $894,611 to $931,000 for next year, with only minor increases throughout the entire budget and several areas where estimated costs actually decrease.

The almost $100,000 increase in the request to the county is due to the lack of funding from the Nantahala Forest, which each year provides Clay County with approximately $50,000. The money is received from the federal government in lieu of tax money lost due to federal lands in Clay County. Whether or not Clay County will receive this funding again next year is in question. The current budget for 2007-08 does not include any money from Nantahala, therefore, the county must make up the $54,000 that would be lost. In addition to the normal funding, Clay County School Board is also asking for $574,500 for capital outlay projects which include $250,000 for new bleachers at the football stadium.

Capital outlay requests also include: $56,000 for carpet and tile at the elementary and high schools; $50,000 for classroom furniture; $50,000 for technology upgrades; $25,000 for security cameras; $15,000 for bus garage improvements; $8,000 each for high school telephones and middle school lockers; $25,000 for middle school gym restrooms and $16,000 for gym doors; $8,000 for whiteboards at the elementary school; $23,500 for sidewalk covers; renovation of restrooms $$16,000; $20,000 elementary school sidewalks; and $4,000 for tile in the football restrooms. Members of the board voted unanimously to send the budget request to Clay County Commissioners.

In other business Monday night, Clay County School Superintendent D. Scott Penland informed board members that the transaction for the Cabe property was finally completed and all the official documents have been signed. Currently, Penland explained the school system owns half of the property, the portion that was donated by the Mr. and Mrs. Cabe. The other half will be owned by the county until the loan for the remaining property is paid off, at which time the county will deed the land to the school.

"It is official," Penland said of owning the land, "Now the work begins to find out how we can get a building on it." Penland told the Clay County Board of Education that he is hopeful that a bond referendum by the state will help provide some funds for a new school to be constructed on the property that is now theirs. Penland and Hayesville High School Principal Dr. Gail Criss updated board members on the recent meeting in Asheville they attended along with members of the Hayesville High School faculty to discuss pending curriculum changes proposed by the North Carolina Board of Education. According to Penland and Criss the meeting was very well attended by educators from all across Western North Carolina with standing room only. Criss said that some of their fears were alleviated by members of the NC Board of Education who were on hand to hear from concerned educators. Although some curriculum changes will likely take place, Criss said she doesn't believe that those changes will have more than a "ripple effect" on Hayesville High School.

One specific detail that came out of the meeting was an "opt out" clause to be added to the new requirements for North

Carolina high school graduates. Criss said state board representatives explained that the new curriculum requirements will include this "opt out" option for students but will require everyone from parents, teachers and administrators to be involved and sign off if a student wishes to "opt out" of the requirements.

The state board approved changes to the core curriculum requirements for all NC high school students in December. The changes increase graduation requirements for all NC high school students starting with the 2008 freshman class by requiring all students to take a foreign language and advanced math. Criss said of the state board representatives present at the meeting last Thursday, "They certainly got their ears full," commenting on the amount of feedback they received from educators who are against the curriculum changes.

Following the meeting, Criss said she felt that Hayesville will be fine with any changes which she believes now will be altered. "It's not a done deal and the 2008 date could change," Criss added. "They will make some changes to the plan."

Mostly, Criss added, attendees were concerned about the effect the curriculum changes would have on the arts, athletics and career and technical training at high schools throughout the state. "It was a very good meeting," she and Penland agreed. Several school board members commented that one of their main concerns was the way in which the State Board of Education went about making the changes without allowing input from educators across the state who would be most effected by the changes.

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