AG19900326 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

A Boost For Gaston Schools Commissioners Offer Money To Improve Results I For Gaston school 6fficials. envisioned to reach the 1992 average Wednesday brought a stunning and -- but they'll keep reaching if it takes wonderful boost: Oaston County corn- another year. m,ssioners said they wanted to bring. local school funding to the state aver- Now the commissioners want the school board to set out its goals, and to age over the next three to four years-- talk about the expected results. Tliey and said they would raise property tax don't want vague prom ms to improve rates 6 cents a year to do it. That involves increases totaling as much as education, but something familiar and measurable, like improvement in test 24 cents by the fourth year. In return, scores -- though they didn't tell the the commissioners want a plan for schools what measures to use. The better education and some ways to commissioners want to keep in touch measure it. -- with progress reports at join1 meet- ' The bold offer gr6ws out of sevei'al ings every six months. things, says County Manager Phil It's an excitiug story of partnership Hinely. There's long been concern that and courage, and not just for folks in Gaston's local funding of schools -- Gaston County. The interest m ~m- about $110 per capita -- was far proving schools is widely shared. Sois below the $15(] average for N.C. coun- lhe interest in measuring resuits: Ac- ties. And commissioners perceive that countability is high on the agenda in schools are at the top of their priority many places -- including Charlotte- list and the community's. Mecklenburg, the State Board of Edu- B6t the schools and tt,e county had cation, the state superintendent's of- been in a chicken-and-egg' situation: rice and the governor's office. Gaston Should the county make a long-term schools can make an immediate con- funding commitment the s~hools tribution to the effort to develop a set could count on and plan for, or should ' of common measures. the schools'first develop a long-range It's a marvelous opportunity for plan the commissioners could believe Gaston schools. But the commission- in and pay for? .. ers' willingness -- their eagerness -- Now. Mr. Hinely says, they've de- to spend what it takes to improve cided to take a chance on each other, education ought to be an inspiration to The' commission'ers' plan, adding c~tizens and officials in neighboring abou! $2.5 million a year to local counties as well. We hope the commis- funding, will bring Gaston schools to sioners' boldness will not ju.st ap- the 1988 state average in three years, plauded by their colleagues tn the Then the fourth Year, a similar boost is region, but emulated. ~.~n_~ Char. observer 3-26-89 ~?-' ~.~ \