THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, February 7, 1997 TAG: 9702070606
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NAGS HEAD LENGTH: 125 lines
About 400 people packed the Nags Head Fire Station at a long and heated public hearing Wednesday night about a proposed school bond referendum.
Some spoke in favor of a second high school north of Oregon Inlet, a scenario included in the proposed $59.5 million bond issue.
Others argued that only one consolidated high school is needed, so that all children north of the Bonner Bridge will get equal educational opportunities.
And Hatteras Island residents, who made the trek up N.C. 12 to express their views, contended their children are being shortchanged.
The big turnout at the latest of a series of hearings caught officials by surprise. The assembled multitude had to be moved from a large meeting room, where bingo games are often held, to the storage bay where Engine Company 16's large yellow ladder trucks are stored.
About 225 managed to find seats. Others sat on the cold concrete floor. And latecomers stood in front of firefighters' lockers.
Police officers directed traffic at the scene. The meeting was scheduled to start at 7 p.m., but was delayed 35 minutes before the overflow gathering got settled. The session ended at about 10:30 p.m.
Fifty-six people took advantage of one-minute speaking allotments given by Donna Buxton, Dare County School Board chairwoman .
They reiterated points made at December public meetings at Manteo, Hatteras and in Kill Devil Hills.
Residents from Manteo, Wanchese, Kitty Hawk and Nags Head supported a single high school.
``I think when you break it down to two schools with 750 students each, it means less programs,'' said John Kuchta of Kitty Hawk. ``I think two high schools is a step backward.''
Mary Ames, a Kill Devil Hills business person, favored a two-school plan.
``Sixty million is a small price to pay for education,'' Ames said. ``As(civil rights leader) Andrew Young put it, anyone who thinks education is expensive has yet to figure the cost of ignorance.''
A group of Hatteras Island residents was adamant in its desire for a separate elementary school. Hatteras has the Dare County system's only K-12 school.
``We don't have equal curriculum. We don't have programs. We don't have equal facilities,'' said Rita Dwight of Cape Hatteras. ``I have a deep feeling that we're being shortchanged. . . . We feel cheated.''
Dwight added, ``I don't agree with having two high schools and not building a separate elementary school (on Hatteras). To go a half-hour to drive to a high school is not bad. Compared to Hatteras, Manteo is a palace. If Cape Hatteras doesn't get what we need now, when will we ever get it?''
Ken Perine of Southern Shores proposed one high school for all of Dare County, to include students from the beaches, the mainland and Roanoke and Hatteras islands.
``My children are all grown up,'' Perine said. ``I'm not opposed to a bond issue. But the optimum size for a high school is 1,500 to 1,800. Do we want to support two high schools? No way. I support one high school for all of Dare County.''
Richard Baer of Kill Devil Hills, a supporter of the two-school idea, tried to put the matter into perspective.
``As far as the people who are here, no one can do anything to change your minds,'' Baer said. ``The people who haven't made up their minds are home watching `The Simpsons' or Duke-Wake Forest.''
Following the public hearing portion, architectural consultant Paul Boney told the audience that Dare County's projected high school student enrollment in 10 years dictates a need for two schools.
``We're going to have 1,600 students whether you build a building or not,'' Boney told the crowd. ``We can't add to Manteo High School.''
The major concern for many voters is the impact on the tax rate. In one set of figures released earlier this week by the Dare County Finance Office, a $60 million bond financed for 20 years at an estimated 7 percent interest rate would increase taxes gradually in the first four years of bond repayment, then begin a gradual slide down through the remaining life of the bond. Property taxes would jump slightly more than 6 cents in the first year, up to some 13.4 cents in the fourth, before declining to just over 1.3 cents in the last year of the bond.
However, Dare County School Superintendent Leon Holleman said that at this point the board is unable to determine how much taxes would be increased.
``The numbers in the paper were just one scenario,'' Holleman said. ``I can't tell you the exact impact. There are other scenarios we should look at.''
Holleman, along with Dare County Manager Terry Wheeler and Finance Director David Clawson, were scheduled to meet Thursday with members of the North Carolina Local Government Commission to discuss the proposed May 20 referendum.
Holleman said memories of a 1989 bond issue for construction of First Flight Middle and Elementary Schools are still fresh in the board's mind. Slated to be included in that bond was maintenance on school buildings. However, the new school construction cost more than anticipated, and the maintenance was put aside.
``That's a major concern of the board,'' Holleman said. ``Unkept promises.''
The board did release projected operational costs for a new beach high school, including costs for additional teachers. In all, the board projected $658,000 annual operating costs.
Assistant Superintendent Ken Wells discussed curriculum plans, citing studies that supported the idea that smaller high schools meant better learning environments. The school district's curriculum committee will meet Wednesday afternoon.
When several in the audience asked for the opportunity to question the board, Buxton quickly adjourned the meeting.
The board has scheduled another hearing at 5 p.m. Monday at Cape Hatteras School in Buxton. The panel will hold its regular meeting at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Manteo Middle School. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
DREW C. WILSON/The Virginian-Pilot
About 400 Dare County citizens filled the Nags Head Fire House on
Wednesday night, so many that the public hearing had to be delayed
35 minutes while the meeting was moved to a larger area to
accommodate the crowd.
UPCOMING MEETINGS
The Dare County Board of Education will hold two meetings next week:
A public hearing on the proposed school construction bond referendum
will be held at 5 p.m. Monday at Cape Hatteras School Auditorium in
Buxton.
The Dare County Board of Education will hold its regular meeting at
7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Manteo Middle School Auditorium.
And at 7 p.m. Monday, a group known as the Citizens for Responsible
School Planning will meet at the Manteo Middle School. The public is
invited.