Digital Scholarship and Initiatives

This posting reports that Robeson County school officials have learned that a needs assessment they submitted over a year ago incorrectly stated the funding needs of the county schools. The figure of $69 million needed for the next five years was submitted to the state Department of Public Instruction and now shows up in a needs assessment summary. Robeson County schools superintendent Johnny Hunt says the county’s actual need is $300 million. He is concerned that the figure submitted will be used to allocate funds to Robeson County if a bond referendum is passed.

The Department of Public Instruction has stated that the county cannot redo its estimate until 2010. Hunt plans to meet with local representatives and recruit their assistance in lobbying the Department of Public Instruction for permission to submit a revised needs assessment.

Both county commissioners and school board members signed off on the needs assessment that was submitted in 2005. Hunt, who was a county commissioner at the time, says he didn’t know what he was signing and believes the others didn’t know either.

Related article: Locklear, Mark. "Board disputes capital needs report." Robesonian Wednesday, February 17, 2007.