Property owners in Kinston and Lenoir County are being asked to approve a $70 million referendum to build and improve schools. The curious thing about this school referendum, scheduled to be on the May 2 ballot, is the demographics of the area involved.
The N.C. Demographic Unit describes Lenoir County as a “population loss” county, with a projected decline of 2.45 percent until at least 2010. Children up to age 13 are projected to be the group with the greatest loss. The greatest increase? The segment of the 65 and older population.
Enrollment in home schools is up. Between 1990 and 2000, the percentage grew by 94.53 percent and it’s still growing.
The average wage in the county was $26,104 in 2002. That ranked Lenoir County at 43rd in the state.
Since we’re not at the bottom of the list, does that mean residents can afford a multi-multi-million school bond? Probably not, if you ask the county’s poor. Lenoir County ranks 33rd highest in the state for people living below the poverty level, and 29th highest for the most related children below the poverty level.
Backers of the referendum like to hail the millions of dollars they see coming in from the lottery. That seems more than just a little disingenuous. Gov. Mike Easley already has announced his intentions to take at least $200 million from the proceeds and put it into the General Fund to “repay” money spent on school projects. The state Legislature apparently doesn’t care. Its members have no plans to correct Easley’s looting.
Let me remind you of a few other financial boondoggles on the horizon – boondoggles you and I will have to pay for:
- WASA. If you think your water and sewer rates are high, just wait. You ain’t seen nothing yet.
- ElectriCities. Any reason to say more?
- A new fire station that seems to be an expensive certainty.
- A larger library we’re just beginning to pay for.
- Serious conversations about redoing downtown.
Another potent reason for opposing the referendum is partial information. We keep hearing this is Phase One. Well, what are phases two, three and four? When does the school board plan to implement these? And at what further cost?
Our schools, for the most part, are deplorable. If they were privatized, they’d be forced out of business. If they were an industry, they’d have closed their doors years ago. Too many kids graduate without being able to speak English, write a coherent sentence and with little or no knowledge about math or science. Few graduate with any social skills. But they’re great at playing computer games.
New or renovated buildings won’t improve children’s learning skills. That can be done only by a determined teaching force and parents who care about their children’s future.
So let’s recap: Declining and aging population, fewer elementary and middle school-age children, more children being home-schooled, large below-poverty population. Sound to you like a community ready to support a $70 million school plan?
It’s time for a grassroots movement to stop the insanity of this referendum.
Lee Raynor is editor of KinstonPress.com. She welcomes your comments at
leeraynor@kinstonpress.com.
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