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WHEREAS, we do deem it to be the prerogative of the elected representatives of the school _
systems to determine the educational portions of the plan, with our own collective judgment being
provided on those portions to the plan having to do with the levying of the taxes upon our citizens
and distribution of same, and
WHEREAS, we are informed and believed that the plan presented to us requires the moral but not
legal commitment from us and our successors in office, whose legal commitment we cannot give, that
we will levy sufficient taxes using either the supplemental tax authorized by G.S. 115C-512, or the
general ad valorem taxes, to aid gradually over a reasonable period of time to attempt to achieve
statewide average for current expense within the merged district, and renovate, remodel, construct
and improve the educational facilities in a manner sufficient to allow the middle school concept to
be implemented in the merged district and otherwise provide necessary funds for implementation of
merger, and
WHEREAS, the plan presented to us calls for us to declare our intention to meet certain finan-
cial objectives, but does not call for us to contract away our sovereign power to decide the rate at
which our citizens will be taxed, and
WHEREAS, we do now have the present intention, absent adverse economic conditions, changing
demographics, educational changes or other unforeseen events, to construct the facilities now
anticipated being needed, and to gradually achieve, as our perceived financial condition allows,
increased current expense funding, 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 funding; (b) the setting aside of a pool of 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 consolida-
tion; 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, the 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 boards in adopting a Plan in the face of extremely emotional confronta-
tions; and (c) the fact that not all members of the public like all parts of the Plan and that some
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 willresult
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
WHEREAS, we do deem it to be the prerogative of the elected representatives of the school
systems to determine the educational portions of the Plan with our own collective judgment being
provided on those portions of the Plan having to do with the levying of taxes upon our ciitzens and
distribution of same; and
WHEREAS, we are informed and believe that the plan presented to us requires the moral (but not
legal) commitment from us and our successors in office (whose legal commitment we cannot give) that
we will levy sufficient taxes (using either the supplemental tax authorized by G.S. 115C-512 or the
general and ad valorem taxes) to (a) gradually over a reasonable period of time attempt to achieve
statewide average for current expense funding within the merged districts and (b) renovate, remodel,
construct and improve the educational facilities in a manner sufficient to allow the middle school
concept to be implemented in the merged district and otherwise provide necessary funds for implemen-
tation of merger; and
WHEREAS, the Plan presented to us calls for us to declare our intention to meet certain finan-
cial objectives but does not call for us to contract away our sovereign power to decide the rate at
which our citizens will be taxed; and
WHEREAS,
we do now
have the present intention, absent adverse economic conditions, changing
demographics,
educational
changes or other unforeseen events, to construct the facilities now anti-
cipated being
needed and
to gradually achieve as our perceived financial condition allows increased
current expense
funding;
and
I