Oak Ridge Town Councilmember George McClellan is seeking the District 3 seat on the Guilford County Board of Commissioners.
He’s not running for the Guilford County Board of Education, but that didn’t stop him from making the school system and its spending one of his key areas of focus this week. On Wednesday, March 16, McClellan called publicly for the state auditor to audit the Guilford County school system.
A press release from McClellan’s campaign stated, “The State Auditor has a responsibility to ensure that money is being spent responsibly and correctly throughout our state. With the recent news of the Guilford County Superintendent leaving Guilford County Schools, it is appropriate to do a financial review of where our county schools stand financially and to ensure money isn’t being wasted.”
In the campaign, so far this year, McClellan, a Republican, has often questioned the way the county’s school system spends its money. He’s facing Guilford County Board of Education Member Pat Tillman and Dan Suter from Summerfield in the Republican primary for the District 3 seat in May.
The statement from the McClellan added, “Traditionally, money allocated by the County and State has been hard to track within the school system.”
School funding is a major topic of discussion in Guilford County right now because voters are being asked to approve a $1.7 billion school bond referendum on the ballot in May – the same ballot McClellan will be on.
McClellan asked in the press release, “Why hasn’t the auditor already audited the schools? I think it has to do with the fact the NCAE [North Carolina Association of Educators] has supported her campaigns. Parents and students should be above the political pressure and deserve funds to be spent correctly, responsibly and get to the students.”
McClellan went on to pledge that, if he’s elected as the next District 3 Guilford County commissioner, he’ll make certain that school funding is made transparent and won’t be used to fund “more bureaucracy in the central office.”
McClellan may do his best in that regard but, over the years many, many county commissioners have been frustrated by the fact that, once the commissioners hand over more than $200 million to the schools in the budget each year, the school system spends it in the way the Guilford County Board of Education wants rather than the way the commissioners want. In some cases, however – such as with bond referendum money – the school officials must get approval from the Board of Commissioners before spending money on a project.
This guy McClellan is suddenly concerned about taxpayer money! That’s strange, because he’s been on Oak Ridge Town Council for years, presided over our tax rate being THREE TIMES that of Summerfield, and never lifted a finger, or even suggested that our Property Tax burden should be reduced.
RINO !
RINO !
RINO! – but before an election, he’s suddenly worried about taxpayer Dollars.
I’m sure he hobnobs with the brothers of the blue lodge, kisses notable politicians rumps, kisses hands, shakes babies, and engages in whatever other necessary buffoonery to get some recognition. Campaigning is an art form, the painting of a facade, smoke and mirrors, definitely not a transparent view of one’s true self.
Almost forgot: There’s one more thing he can kiss….
Your “arse”? Are you British?
As a career business person I advocate transparency in government. It appears that it has not been the case thus far and with a history of consistent ‘giving’ without a follow through as to our tax dollars being successful now that we are asked to bring bonds forward as well. Audits are a fair accounting for we voters to be informed voters.
I wish you luck in getting an honest audit. Be prepared for what you may see…if lucky.
Yeah! isn’t it about time?
Of course the money is being wasted. Just look at what you get for the endless stream of money given to them yearly and all they do is ask for more, more, more.
Boy I’d love to see the results from that audit!!
I don’t know how Abe Lincoln made it out of the cabin.
You dumbasses keep electing people to the school board who aren’t good stewards of your money. You get what you deserve.
The board can get rid of all of the layers of bureaucracy at central office any time it likes. They even gave Contreras a contract extension. Nobody holds them accountable. They’re a bigger problem than any superintendent.
This dumbass is out-voted by the other dumbasses.
The council should meet in the cafeteria. That’s where the free lunch is.
Enough has been said above so I needn’t pile on, but the amount of tax money allocated to the schools is such that I just learned we obviously don’t audit. This should be an annual requirement. Then of course the schools will ask for more money to pay for the audit.
Those of you who regularly read these missives are well aware of what I think of what we get for the millions given the school system. GCS is obviously not a results driven organization. I read somewhere recently, a comment to the effect that the GCS superintendent should be a business person rather than an educator. I guess I’m not the only one who can see the forest for the trees, and such person may have a little less concern for unions. Our teachers are mostly not at fault for what they are required to teach.
I like the idea of a business person in the role superintendent. Let the teachers teach and be educators. Not every classroom is the same. Each has their own challenges and needs that only the teacher really understands.