The majority of Vance County’s schools need some work, from roof repairs and paint to sewer lift station upgrades and new windows and doors. All that work would surely come with a hefty price tag, but Superintendent Dr. Cindy Bennett has a work-around that she presented Tuesday to the Vance County Board of Commissioners.
The work-around comes in the form of a state-administered grant for capital improvements and Vance County could stand to get more than $47 million to make those necessary repairs and renovations, Bennett told commissioners Tuesday.
“The capital needs grant allows us to apply for $47.2 million as a school district,” Bennett stated in her comments to the board. All the commissioners need to do is agree to a 5 percent match.
If the school district were to be approved to receive the maximum amount, the 5 percent match would amount to about $2.5 million.
The matching funds wouldn’t have to be paid all at once; rather, the money could come in over the course of the projects, which could take several years.
Bennett and Vance County Manager C. Renee Perry agree that Vance County is poised to receive the funding because of its Tier 1 designation and because it hasn’t applied previously to get the funding.
Time is of the essence, however, and that’s why Bennett and VCS Chief Finance Officer John Suther appealed to the commissioners for financial support. The grant opened on Aug. 15 and the application came online on Aug. 18, Bennett explained. All documentation must be back to the N.C. Department of Public Instruction no later than Oct. 3.
Although she expressed full support for the plan, Perry said she would request that commissioners have a chance to review the documents shared by Bennett before the board makes a decision.
“I’m in full support,” Perry said, but suggested that commissioners review and discuss the matter at an upcoming work session and then make a decision at a special called meeting in a couple of weeks. As of Thursday morning, that special meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 16 at 4 p.m. The matching funds for the schools is one of three topics to be discussed.
“We need to look at our fund balance,” Perry said. “We also have to think about (other) capital projects. The school district gets money from the county each year that is designated for capital outlay, so perhaps some of that money from the budget line item could be used as part of the 5 percent match, she said.
Commissioner Tommy Hester called the decision a “no brainer” since the school district normally relies on county funding for capital projects. A 5 percent match is like saying the county will get a 95 percent discount if the state approves the grant funding.
(Our WIZS written coverage will appear here soon.)
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