When do school principals address the board to ask for equipment for their science labs?

When the board must manufacture evidence for an upcoming trial.

So, a Special Called Meeting was called Monday, August 24. Many felt this was an opportunity for the board chair to campaign, as the meeting was short and the board chair acted relatively normal – and, the board chair has not been seen campaigning for the upcoming school board election.

But no. Many of us thought it strange that a lone principal was scheduled to ask for biology equipment for his school’s biology lab – especially at a “Special Called Meeting”. We asked each other if this would be a new trend – that school administrators would have to address the board for their school’s supplies. Seemed a little strange.

Until Mr. Schwartz produced “P-72” (Plaintiff’s Exhibit #72) entitled “Additional Needs of the School System” at trial last week. Among the many items on that list was equipping school science labs.

Among P-72’s “additional needs”:

Restore certified supplements ($1.5m)
Restore classified hours ($565k)
Restore coaching/band/club supplements($45k)
Equip school science labs ($25 k)
Tech upgrades/software requests ($5mil)
Funding for the high schools ($2.2 mil)

Look – most agree that the schools could use more money. But why did all of these “needs” just come to light in the last week or so?

When Mr. Sherrill was asked when this list was compiled, he answered – “2 weeks ago.”

The items on the list totaled $13.5 million dollars. To which the Judge responded:

“Do you really expect me to enter an order to make the Board of Commissioners come up with $13.5 million?”

“No.” replied Mr. Schwartz.

The Judge continued: “the point is . . . ‘what amount is needed to maintain free public schools’ - the evidence goes to the credibility of the witness – suddenly I have a witness who says the budget is double? ‘Need’ does not mean a wish list.”

There were questions about reversions back to the state – and when the board knew about them. They were not clearly answered, but my recollection and review of meetings indicates the administration had knowledge of these reversions and the amount of them before they submitted their budget to the Commissioners.

At one point Mr. Sherrill indicated that the Central Office could not afford to purchase copy paper and had to borrow it. He was asked from whom it was borrowed. He answered “Schwartz and Shaw.”

Just so you know, I took really good notes of Mr. Sherrill’s testimony, and some mediocre notes of Mr. Lawson’s testimony. I should be writing about the two competing standards of law that the judge must decide between, or that problematic little North Carolina Supreme Court case that was handed down on Friday that significantly limits what the word “needs” means when interpreting NCGS 115C-431. (Yes, the Beaufort county case has been decided.)

It is just that some things seem so contrived.

Like the lack of office supplies at the Central Office when there apparently are pallets full of copy paper at the school warehouse.

Like ‘poor mouthing’ about things like postage when a local business offered to give the Central Office money for postage but declined to do so after the businessman was told he’d have to talk to Mr. Sherrill first.

Like a “special called meeting” where the main attractions are how the school system is going to deal with H1N1 (which includes the wiping down of outdoor play ground equipment with germicide?) and the plea from a principal for more microscopes and frogs for his middle school biology lab. (Oh yes - Mr. Lawson answered that the board became aware of this request for biology supplies two weeks ago at a board meeting. The correct answer is that the board became aware of this 4 days earlier at a "Special Called" meeting.) One more thing: I am not suggesting the principal was complicit in this exercise! My guess is that he was just doing what he was told to do by Mr. Sherrill or Ms. Norman (She did remark that they had "talked last week.")

I was not at the hearing to witness Ms. Norman’s testimony. It sounds like even though it only lasted a couple of minutes, it was very interesting.

I understand that the board is going to be interviewing superintendent candidates at the Charlotte Renaissance Hotel this week. And it is possible that SACS will send its conclusions of the investigation this week or next. And of course the hearing will be on-going.

I am all for multi-tasking, but really, this school board majority is doing all of this at once?

Anyone else have an issue with this?

Again, I am all for getting the schools more money to make them more competitive with the rest of the world. My fellow running mates and I see the quick restoration of classified and certified pay as essential. I also think the middle school biology labs should be equipped with microscopes and slides (frogs for dissection? Not so much.)

I am sure that the board of commissioners wants the best for our kids, too. That is why they have exercised their discretion in these lean times to make the BOE account for the money that they want to spend.