Commissioners and the School Board

     Sometimes I can't really believe my ears!  Last Thursday I had the good fortune to attend a joint Transylvania County Commission and School Board meeting.  There were about 460 people there to lobby for the Commissioners to lend their support to the school in order to soften the blow of some 2.2 million dollars in budget cuts.  Superintendent McDaris presented the school board's budget.  

     Not many people follow this reasonably new blog, so for anyone who reads this later who is not from North Carolina, you may need to know that the school board has to come hat in hand to the Commission for financial support.  The tax payers of Transylvania County give a percentage of the County budget to the School Board.  

    While it is true that neither the Commission, nor Board, have responsibility for the State's budget shortfall, it is also true that the Commission has the opportunity to soften the blow.  The problem is they are all Republicans and want to follow the State party's line.  And the State Republican Party has likewise made it clear that they have an agenda designed to degrade public education and the people who labor so hard to serve the children of our State and County.

     The bottom line is that the County Commission is empowered to help. They can reach into the fund balance, perhaps not the best solution.  They can also establish a temporary increase in property taxes.  Larry Chapman spouted the Republican Party line about how our voters swept them into office to cut taxes and spending.  Maybe he is right.  BUT ... they were not swept into place to add to destroy North Carolina's public schools.  

      Although, should the Commission reach out to the children and families of Transylvania County their re-election chances would improve ... I'd rather they help the families and by so doing make the road to replacing the current commission with people who love public education a more difficult road for we Democrats.

       KIDS COME FIRST ... Let's not allow Republicans to batter them and NC's future with petty political squabbling.