We had discussed yesterday how Skip Alston has had a change of tune with regard to property tax increases and is now discussing budget cuts.
Now, it seems the dam is bursting.
The county GOP chairman is stating that the socialists would be committing “financial rape” if they do not adopt a revenue-neutral property tax rate.
And all of a sudden, there is an acknowledgement on the part of the socialists that the county schools have had declining enrollment— and maybe the funding levels don’t need to be so high, and maybe we don’t need as many new schools.
This is not new information.
Eight years ago, severe tornados hit east Greensboro, and at least one elementary school was destroyed. What happened to the assignment of all the kids from that school? It was found that nearby schools were able to accommodate them easily because there were so many open spots.
And yet, the socialists persisted with grandiose plans for building large numbers of schools and replacing old schools. They persisted with grandiose building designs for these new schools.
Charter schools and private school voucher funding have pulled large numbers of students away from traditional public schools in Guilford County. That is in addition to the increasing trend toward home schooling. Moreover, there is a trend toward young women having fewer kids than they had during previous generations. The bodies in the traditional public schools simply are not there in the way they were two and three decades ago.
Are we to believe the local socialists are, all of a sudden, becoming aware of all these phenomena?
Remain mindful that education funding– both capital construction and operational funding– comprise the major portion of the county budget. It is the elephant in the room.
As I have noted previously, Greensboro has a large black middle class. In addition, it has lots of left-wing residents who own homes. These people are hurt by property tax increases. Perhaps the socialists who run the county and its school system are coming to a belated acknowledgment that they have been wrong on these matters for a long time. They are facing the reality of how to pay for their grand designs– and the property tax revaluation has forced them to deal with the issue.
This does not mean local conservatives and Republicans should be complacent. They have done a great job showing up at meetings and speaking out. They would do well to continue to do so at the meetings of the Board of County Commissioners and the Greensboro City Council. The elected officials on these two bodies need to continue to feel citizens’ pressure.
Perhaps maximum pressure on Skip Alston will result in a modification of their tax and spend tendencies. At least there is hope but like you TC, I wouldn’t count on it unless it is actually realized . Be wary!!
You will note, Fred, there is much hand-wringing in the Rhino Times article. They claim so many of the schools’ costs are fixed, and not changeable.
However, if they consolidate and close schools, that is not true. (And the school system did this many years ago, in fact, because they wanted bigger schools and wanted to retire smaller schools.)