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planning window units, Register said. Fifty percent of the cost list is for renovation of the
building and the other fifty percent is for HVAC, Register said.
BOY SCOUTS I11 AUDIENCE: Chairman Sloan recognized John Mashburn Troop 176 and Matthew Click of
Troop 615, who are working on their Citizenship and Community Merit badges.
MOORESVILLE GRADED SCHOOL: Dr. Houston and Mr. Frank Fields, chairman of the Mooresville
Graded School District Board, made the next presentation. Chairman Fields greeted the board and
presented Dr. Houston.
Chairman Sloan asked if Dr. Houston would bring the board up to date on their capital budget.
Dr. Houston said he would like to address the current expense. He said they would do what they
could with the current expense funds. He said they usually rebuild their budget after they know the
amount of the county funding.
Dr. Houston said they had not asked for any increase for capital funding. They had hoped to
maintain the same funding level as they had received in the past. They are in the final stages of
putting the financing together for the three projects they are working on. They plan to use COP
financing. The first package is $1.4 million, which they hope to secure locally. They have another
$8.5 million financing in the future. They anticipate a tremendous growth in the coming years.
They are the fastest growing school district in the state.
Dr. Houston said the schools are air conditioned in the Mooresville district. This was com-
pleted eight years ago with central air and window units. With the projects they are undertaking
now they will be totally air conditioned, Houston said.
Commissioner Madison inquired if they had excess capacity at Mooresville High School. Dr.
Houston replied they have planned to convert Woods Elementary School into Woods Advanced Technology
Center. That will accommodate all the vocational preparation programs that are currently housed at
the high school. The high school, with the exception of a few classrooms, are only used five periods
a day. One-sixth of the capacity of the building is not being used at the present time. They will
gain eleven classrooms by the removal of the Vocational Prep to Woods School. That will take the
capacity of the building up in the 1200 range. There are under 800 students there for next year, so
there is room for growth.
Commissioner Madison inquired how many Mooresville students have been released to the Iredell
County system. Dr. Houston says he does not know the number. The Mooresville board has acknowledge
mutual exchange for over forty years as an opportunity for parents to have a choice. There are no
accurate records kept on the mutual exchange. They know of about 180 children.
Commissioner Haire inquired about busing in mutual exchange. Dr. Houston believes that it can
work in a positive way, he said. The supplemental tax is now 131 cents for the school district.
The 1905 legislation says 33 1/3 cents. Shortly after the war, the cap was raised to 45 cents.
Howard Bryan found legislation that said the board of education could levy "whatever" tax was
necessary to fund the schools. The rate has been as high as 27 cents. The value was probably very
low.
Commissioner Madison inquired if Dr. Houston could give an estimate of how many millions of
dollars they school boards were talking about insofar as capital requests. Dr. Houston said all the
visitations have been made. They are in the final stages of putting the Mooresville report
together.
The study was done with disregard for the boundary lines of the schools.
Merger has always been recommended, Houston said.
Chairman Sloan inquired about the high school in the south end of the county.
Commissioner Madison said he had a problem with the fact that we are using basically one penny
of fund balance this year. That penny has got to be made up next year. He also had a problem
concerning the merger plan which calls for an eight -cent tax and the county commissioners are
funding a three -cent tax. He thought that short to medium range improvements were being funded with
long-range debt. He thinks if this is done it should be a general obligation bond. He is in favor
of new buildings with COPS. Commissioner Madison is in favor of the eight cents tax in the merger
plan.
Chairman Sloan said the purpose of this meeting was to address questions to the school boards
and this has been done.
DJOURN,. The meeting adjourned at 7:30 p.m. on a motion from Commissioner Haire. The next
meeting will be held at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 2, 1992, at 4:00 p.m., in the South Wing
Conference Room, Iredell County Government Center, with the public hearing beginning at 7:30 p.m.,
in the County Commissioners' Meeting Room, Iredell County Government Center, 200 South Center
Street, Statesville, NC.
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Clerk to the Board
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