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We are not talking about a fictional field of dreams, either. To Superintendent D. Scott Penland and members of the Clay County Board of Education this is no dream, what they are facing is very much a reality.
And they came face to face with their reality Monday night during the Clay County School Board meeting when Superintendent Penland asked for the board's approval to purchase two mobile classrooms to house students at Hayesville Elementary School.
As predicted, the trend of enrollment increases is continuing at the local elementary school, and the school board must now face the fact that HES is simply out of room. And with no money on the horizon to fund the construction of a much needed new school, the Clay County School Board approved the purchase of two mobile classrooms with a price tag of $21,000 each. This does not include set-up or furniture, Penland stated.
Penland informed the Board that he and HES Principal Matt Rogers have looked at the number of students who have already pre-registered for kindergarten and that there are already enough students to fill the existing five kindergarten classes. Penland went on to say that more students will continue to register during the summer right up until school starts in August, therefore, they must realistically plan for six kindergarten classes next year.
In addition, the first grade already has five classes and will be moving to second grade in the fall with no place for a sixth second grade classroom.
Penland told board members that mobile units to house these students are the only solution for the near future. Penland added that he must order the units now so that they will be delivered and set-up in time for school to start in August.
The hope of constructing a new primary school is still very much on the mind of Penland and the Board, but without movement from the State on a School Construction Bond or other funding for school construction needs, Penland said it's not looking good. Penland said the NC Legislature still has two months before their session ends, but that currently money for school construction projects is not in the budget.
Penland did share a discussion by state officials concerning the bond saying that one idea has been proposed by some law makers of taking back some of the dedicated revenues which school systems receive from the state and giving school systems bond money in turn. Penland said this just does not make any sense as the state would be giving with one hand and taking back with the other. Penland added that he had spoken with Senator John Snow who felt like when the legislature finalized a budget and got that behind them they would turn their attention to other issues like the School Bond. He added that there is still time for the bond issue to be discussed by the legislature before the session ends.
The problem Clay County Schools is facing, the board and Penland agreed, is that the growth problem is not going to go away, whether or not they get money from the state to help construct a new school. Each year the student body continues to increase and a permanent solution must be found. One board member pointed out that the next year the second graders will move to third grade and an additional class will be needed again, and then they will move to fourth grade and have to have an additional class yet again. The point - each year will bring growth and the need for more mobile units.
Simply, the problem is not going to go away. Whether or not a new school is built, the students will continue to come.
"It's just going to start compounding," board members agreed of the growth at the local school. "We need a new school."
Penland, who has gone on the record before about his dislike of mobile units, said that this will be the first time in 15 years Clay County has had to house students in mobile units. However, it is the only solution for the problem that is staring them in the face.
And yet another sign that the pattern of growth is not going away - Penland asked board members to also approve an additional pre-school class for the 2007-2008 school year. Penland said applications for the system's preschool have increased and they currently do not have enough classes to accept all the students that have applied.
"In years past we have done a lottery system, but we do not like to turn away any child," Penland commented. He added that there is currently enough space for an additional pre-school class by simply converting one of the current after school Discovery Program classes into a pre-school class. Funding for the teachers, he continued, would be provided through the More at Four Program.
School Board Member Darryl McClure said that he would certainly support an additional pre-school class, saying that there is no better place to spend money than in providing good pre-school education for our children. The board voted unanimously to increase the number of preschool classes for next year in order to service all those students who applied.
When asked where the money would come from to purchase the two mobile units for the elementary school, Penland told board members that it would have to come from the capital outlay revenues they receive from the County.
Therefore, Penland explained, something on their current capital improvements list would have to be scratched off.
Penland told the board that he would order the units immediately to ensure they would be ready in time for the 2007-2008 school year which will begin for students on Aug. 27. (Board members official passed the 2007-2008 School Calendar Monday night, giving up on a change in the state law which prohibits schools from beginning before Aug. 25.)
To comment on this article, Email Carla at carlagowens@hotmail.com.
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