
DATE: Thursday, August 28, 1997             TAG: 9708280543

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: MANTEO                            LENGTH:  112 lines

SCHOOL DAYS, A BIT CONTENTIOUS, HERE AGAIN IT'S MOSTLY ORDERLY, BUT THERE'S SOME FLARE IN DARE

While schoolchildren returned to class in an orderly fashion, a shortage of desks and supplies led to another political brawl Wednesday between Dare County's Board of Commissioners and the Board of Education.

An emergency commission meeting, followed by a press conference with school officials, resulted in claims and counterclaims, but in the end, no action was taken.

Commissioners called the meeting after parents and teachers complained that there were not enough pens, paper, toilet paper, soap, desks and other essentials for the opening day of school.

Some commissioners charged that the shortage was another example of financial mismanagement by school officials.

School officials countered that the schools have adequate supplies and that they borrowed desks from neighboring counties. They argued that they had to go begging because the commission didn't give them enough money to handle a larger student population and higher costs for gasoline and utilities.

Schools receive state and local money. The board of commissioners decides how much local funding they get.

During the 90-minute emergency meeting, two commissioners - Joseph ``Mac'' Midgett and Shirley Hassell - called for the ouster of top school administrators.

Superintendent Leon Holleman, as well as assistant superintendents Gene Gallelli and Ken Wells, say they will not quit their jobs.

In a surprise twist, State Treasurer Harlan Boyles entered the fray, comparing the Dare schools to an ox and cart off ``in the ditch.''

County Manager Terry Wheeler quoted Boyles as saying the school administration and board had abdicated their fiscal responsibilities. The two spoke by phone less than two hours before Wednesday's emergency meeting, Wheeler said.

The county commission is considering steps to exercise greater financial control over the school district. Boyles made a series of recommendations to Wheeler. Those suggestions, which may be taken up at Tuesday's meeting of the county governing board, include:

Pre-auditing all purchase orders and expenditures of all local education funds. County Finance Officer David Clawson said pre-auditing involves ensuring that the school district has not overspent in a particular line item before.

Freezing Holleman's county supplement until a Henderson, N.C., firm completes the system's 1996-97 audit. The system's top administrator receives $23,091 from the county in addition to his $69,946 state salary.

Possibly bringing in the former finance officer for the school district, Becky Wescott, as a county employee to work with the auditing firm. Wescott was placed on paid administrative leave in June for undisclosed reasons. Holleman said Wednesday she was taken off the payroll last week. Attempts to reach Wescott have been unsuccessful.

Boyles, Wheeler said, also called on commissioners to demand full accountability.

The major difference between the two boards is rooted in funding for capital expenditures - which include buildings, supplies, furniture, utility costs and buses.

Board of Commissioners Vice Chair Geneva Perry called the board's financial situation ``asinine.'' She also said she had received a number of calls from teachers and parents concerned about a lack of supplies and desks at schools throughout the county.

``I don't think anybody wants to condemn anyone,'' Perry said. ``But the people want answers. I think when teachers are having to go to Kmart to buy school supplies when you have a $7.1 million (local) budget, that is unacceptable. That just doesn't make sense.''

She added, ``I think the Board of Education has been in total disarray. The big issue is that they can't get a handle on the school system. Somehow, the money is not being managed right.''

Perry also accused Holleman of using scare tactics against employees. Holleman flatly denied that allegation.

For his part, Holleman praised commissioners for funding areas like school technology. But he pointed to areas not funded by the commission - some $800,000 to cover additional expenses - teaching staff, utility and transportation costs, to name a few. For example, utility costs in 1992-93 were $392,000 systemwide. This year, those rose to $643,000, he said.

``The commissioners have funded the best technology program in the state,'' Holleman said. ``I'm not going to bash the commissioners. But they haven't funded for the growth in students from 1992 to 1998. When you have 900 additional students you need 900 more pieces of paper. You have to have 900 more desks. You have to have another bus for a field trip. Utilities are going up. All those things need to be addressed.''

Wheeler, however, said the school district did not set proper spending priorities.

``They're saying they don't have enough money to deal with their problems,'' Wheeler said. ``We think they do.''

Members of both governing boards called for cooperation to get to the heart of the problem. But in the face of Wednesday's charges and countercharges, Board of Commissioners Chairman Robert V. ``Bobby'' Owens Jr. and Holleman called for a healing of wounds dating back to before the May 20 bond vote. The $59.5 million school package was overwhelmingly defeated by Dare County citizens.

``I'm not here as a commissioner to point fingers or make accusations,'' Owens said. ``I'd like to see them behind us. I'd like to see a bond issue that was soundly defeated put behind us. We have an awful lot to be proud of in our educational system. But we need to move on to the benefit of our children.''

Holleman tried to be optimistic.

``I have enough faith in my fellow man to believe anything is possible,'' he said. ``But we've got a lot of healing to do.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo

DREW C. WILSON/The Virginian-Pilot

Second-grade teacher Renee Lewis, at left above, leads her students

in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance on the first day of classes

Wednesday at Manteo Elementary School. The children, from left, are

Emily Cahoon, Jessica Austin, Nicholas Hannant and Brittany Ash. At

right, students in one third-grade class at Manteo Elementary used

desks borrowed from nearby Manteo High School. Education officials

in Dare have had to obtain desks from nearby counties to alleviate a

need for seating.