HomeMy WebLinkAboutC.054.93008_1704IREDELL COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
.... MINUTES
April 5. 1990
The Iredell County Board of Commissioners met in Adjourned Regular Session on Thursday after-
noon, April 5, 1990, 2:30 p.m., Courtroom of the Old Courthouse, S. Center Street, Statesville, NC.
Those present for the meeting were:
R. B. Sloan, Jr., Chairman
Alice Stewart, Vice Chairman
C. Chandler Bryan
Larry S. Hedrick
Frances L. Murdock
Staff present: Joel Mashburn, County Manager
William P. Pope, County Attorney
Alice T. Fortner, Clerk to the Board
SLOAN: We are reconvening the meeting that was recessed last Tuesday, April 3, 1990. It
became apparent to me that there was somewhat of a consensus developing among the county
commissioners over the last few days, and due to that, I have asked our county attorney, Mr. Bill
Pope, to draft a resolution incorporating the ideas and thinking of all the county commissioners.
At this time I would ask Mr. Pope to read the resolution.
POPE: Mr. Chairman, I have prepared a resolution, and I apologize in advance that it is
excessively long and excessively worded. I tried to incorporate the ideas that various
commissioners had suggested to me. Whether I succeeded or not will be clear when you discuss this.
... If I could I will read the resolution that I prepared.
WHEREAS, for at least twenty-five years the governing officials of Iredell County have reques-
ted that in order to reduce current expense inequities and capital expenditure inefficiencies, the
three school administrative units located within Iredell County consider consolidation and merger,
and
WHEREAS, the Boards of Education of the three school administrative units for various personal,
political, social and cultural reasons have not been able to agree upon a plan of consolidation and
merger; and
WHEREAS, this Board of Commissioners has been acutely aware of the value to all individuals of
a quality education and of the value to society at large of its citizens to be able to read, write
and possess critical thinking skills; and
WHEREAS, this Board of Commissioners has also been made aware of the economic potential of this
county, its factories, farms and financial and service industries and its capacity to develop and
expand with an educated work force; and
WHEREAS, this Board and previous Boards have made repeated and strenuous efforts to encourage
the school units in Iredell County to develop a plan to consolidate the schools including (a) the
consideration of withholding of funding; (b) the setting aside of a pool of nearly one million
dollars and offering to increase the pool yearly; (c) the offer to employ outside experts to study
and assist in preparation of consolidation plans; (d) the encouragement of legislation to mandate
consolidation; and (e) encouragement of merger through various other means; and
WHEREAS, this Board and previous Boards have made great strides in raising the current expense
funding for Iredell County school children with a view towards ultimately achieving the statewide
average within a reasonable time after the schools are consolidated and have communicated those
-�.- plans to the school administrators for the purpose of encouraging them to consider and develop a
plan of consolidation and merger; and
WHEREAS, this board appointed a VISIONS Task Force on Education and charged it to investigate
educational facilities and opportunities in Iredell County, and indicated to the members of that
group that we would to the extent possible, implement their recommendations, and
WHEREAS, in response to repeated urging, encouragement, and solicitation by this board, the
boards of the City of Statesville and Iredell County Administrative Units have developed a plan for
consolidation and merger (the "Plan") for presentation to this board and to the State Board of
Education, and
WHEREAS, said VISIONS Task Force has studied the plan and has presented its findings to this
board, including the strengths and weaknesses of the plan, and
WHEREAS, we have been made aware of (a) the tremendous amount of work involved in developing
the plan, (b) the political courage of the members of the school board in adopting a plan in the
face of the extremely emotional confrontations, and (c) the fact that not all members of the public
like all parts of the plan and many desire that the matter be put to a referendum of the people, and
WHEREAS, our own investigation and study has led us to conclude, and we do find as a fact, that
consolidation of the Iredell County and City of Statesville School Administrative units will result
in a wiser and more efficient use of the financial resources of this county and will result in a
vastly improved educational delivery system with equalized funding, and
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