Chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners Skip Alston said this week that Guilford County’s school system needs every penny of the proposed $1.7 billion school bond referendum that he and many others want to see on the ballot in March of 2022.
He said the schools need that money on top of the $300 million that county voters approved for Guilford County Schools in November of 2020.
“We spent $900,000 on a study to find out what the schools’ needs are – so of course we are going to listen to that study,” Alston said, adding that the school system’s assessed needs are massive after decades of underfunding.
Alston said that, at some point before the current fiscal year (July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022) is over, Guilford County plans to sell bonds to raise $180 million of the $300 million that voters approved in 2020. In fiscal year 2022-2023, the chairman said, Guilford County will sell $120 million – the remainder of that $300 million – and give the schools that money as the bills for projects come in.
Alston said that, hopefully, by the time that $300 million is raised, the schools will have another $1.7 billion in the pipeline. He said he fully expects voters to approve the $1.7 billion school bond referendum next year.
When the Board of Commissioners recently approved moving forward with putting “up to $1.7 billion” on the ballot next year for the schools, several commissioners indicated that the actual number would likely be less than that. Now, however, it looks very much like the entire $1.7 billion will be on the ballot.
Alston said he’s confident county voters can be persuaded to approve the coming bond referendum, and he added that the county will be able to pay off the debt using an estimated additional $56 million annually that a 2022 county-wide property revaluation will bring for upcoming county budgets.
Alston said he is also hopeful county voters will approve a sales tax increase that will be on the ballot along with the school bond referendum. He said that new revenue stream would help tremendously as well.
The chairman added that, in the first few years after the $1.7 billion bond passes, the financial burden on the county won’t be that great because it will take a while to get many projects underway. He noted that the annual debt payment on the $1.7 billion would peak at $45 million years down the line.
Yeah, and we need a few tubes of prep H!
Voting no. Have seen the waste for to many years.
I only have one thing to say about this article WTF are you trying to sell us ocean front property in Arizona. Skip you’re an idiot No way in hell anybody who keeps up with what’s going on in our county would ever vote for this bond.
I would put Skip, in a class with president Biden, other Democrats as those in congress.
The Guilford County School System is a disgraceful failure. The School Board is completely ineffective and the superintendent is totally incompetent. When our so called “graduates” cannot read, write or do simply math, the system has failed them and the taxpayer. I would urge all citizens of this county to vote “NO” for any more funding until the schools are returned to a group of school board members who will get rid of the current administration from the top down and hire people who know how to run a business rather than a system that cannot manage. We are continually asked to give the schools more money and yet their success levels are horrendous. If we had a group of county commissioners that would request audits of money spent, performance, and simple accountability, maybe the taxpayer could believe that the money given to the schools was well deserved. Until that takes place, VOTE NO!
Leftists of all stripes – liberals, socialists, communists, they all work towards the same goal – like to talk about the “greed” of capitalism, or the free market system. You know what? The free market has never forced me to hand over a penny. Everything I have spent has been voluntary. The Parasitic Sector is different. They DEMAND you hand over your money, just like a mugger on the street. If you don’t hand it over, they’ll send a man with a gun on his hip to your house. And if you still refuse to comply, they will take you away and lock you up in a cell.
In other words, it’s robbery, a shake-down, extortion.
As their power grows they become ever bolder, enjoying excessive remuneration, Rolls-Royce benefits, and gold-plated retirement plans – which they access as soon as they have “put in my 30 years”. So they retire around 50 and get another job while we taxpayers pay for their Lexuses and Benzes.
There is plenty of greed in this World, and it is displayed unashamedly in the Parasitic Sector.
The Productive Sector is at least ethical enough not to coerce you into handing over your hard-earned money.
Amen! Well said.
Thanks, American Believer!
I believe in America too. I wasn’t born here, but I got here as quick as I could (legally).
HEAR,HERE!!!
Cheers Jack!
curious as to where Guilford county schools rank statewide and nation wide ?
Just do a goggle search
Why the need for this? I thought that was the purpose of the NC EDUCATION lottery? Oh yeah, that’s right, the money goes to either the central offices or somewhere else that the public doesn’t know about and NOT to the individual schools. And then schools do all this fundraising for technology, playground equipment, books for the library, etc. If the “money” from these bond referendums which comes from OUR pockets and lottery actually went to the schools, then schools shouldn’t have to fundraise and parents wouldn’t have to keep the teachers stocked with supplies throughout the school year. Sounds like some people just want to pad their pockets a little more if you ask me.
The lottery. Is nothing but a sham. Only a small percentage is given to the schools I think it’s as bad a payday loan for poor people.
Yeah, it is a scam. But my number will be up very soon. (I don’t mean the other number, TUVM).
The City wants a bond after just receiving millions in recovery money. And they haven’t spent the Bonds they have yet. The County also received recovery millions. You think we are voting FOR a bond referendum and our taxes be increased? Really? Many are still unemployed due to Covid. Many are way behind on their rent or house payments. Crime continues to climb. And you want us to vote for a bond issue…..I think that says Everything about all of you. And many of you are running for re-election. Do you think we are going to vote for a Bond referendum AND keep you in office? Really?
Let’s see a line items list of the projects to be paid for. Then we can all cross them off as completed!