School board chair proposes 10-person committee for school bus facility

Jan. 16—A committee from Dare County is the model for one proposed by Lee County Schools Board of Education Chair Sherry Lynn Womack to come to a resolution regarding a school bus maintenance facility.

She noted that the Dare County committee includes three members each from that Outer Banks county’s school board and county board of commissioners, along with the county manager, school superintendent and the county and school finance directors.

Womack said that Kirk Smith, Lee County Commissioners chair, shared the proposal with his board.

School Board Member Eric Davidson noted that the county commissioners passed a resolution to establish a joint committee with the school board on Sept. 16, 2024 in regard to the school bus facility. The school board tabled the item on Oct. 8 because the general election could result in new school board members.

During the Oct. 8 meeting, Smith spoke during public comment and noted safety concerns regarding the current school bus garage.

On Tuesday, Jan. 14, School Board Vice Chair Alan Rummel noted the proposal involves the site of the former Jonesboro Elementary School, which the school district demolished. Rummel asked for $496,635 in a funding request from the commissioners, who earlier approved such, but the funds reverted back to the county due to an asbestos abatement-related delay. The board unanimously approved Rummel’s request.

He made another request for funds for the demolition of the Lee County High School visitors’ side bleachers ($148,000) and pouring of a concrete pad ($123,000), along with $368,000 for the Fiscal 2025-26 Capital Improvement Plan for replacement bleachers. That was also unanimously approved.

PUBLIC COMMENTDuring public comment at the beginning of the meeting, three classified staffers again requested more funding for salaries, following a recent pay bump.

“It ain’t gonna do us no good to have bleachers or anything else if we can’t get this staff thing corrected,” board member Chris Gaster said.

Referring to the county commissioners, Rummel said, “I don’t see how they would be able to fund a pay increase outside of their standard budget.” The budget process will be starting soon, but the next fiscal year doesn’t start until July 1.

“What else can we do? Less employees? Turning mental health back to the county?” Womack asked Superintendent Chris Dossenbach.

He noted the only way the school district could do anything else right away is by eliminating staff, which Rummel also noted as an option last month when the district approved $709,000 for the salary bump. At that time, Rummel said $392,166 came from remaining discretionary funds in the current budget, along with $300,000 in savings from a central office restructuring that eliminated seven jobs and added one.

“I can’t [legally] use bleacher project money to go toward staff,” Dossenbach said.

“The federal government prints money every time they want,” Rummel said. “The school system doesn’t have that authority.”

“We can’t do without nurses and staff support,” Dossenbach added. “The things we can cut are only going to make the jobs of those who are here much more difficult than they already are.”

He noted that many administrators’ salaries are set by the state and their funding comes from state funds.

Womack noted that in Dare County, North Carolina Health and Human Services ended up funding the school nurses and mental health professionals, and the school resource officers ended up being funded by the sheriff’s office.

During public comment, Alicia Hillier of Carthage said her teacher assistant salary is $28,362 based on a 215-day work year.

“This shouldn’t be this hard,” Sanford resident Emily York said. “We are state employees … we are an essential part of the village it takes [to raise children].”

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