Beaufort School Board is breaking the law...repeatedly | Eastern North Carolina Now

Ray Leary has amply documented two fundamental sets of facts:   To wit:

The Beaufort County Schools is in violation of major important legal requirements that are prescribed by law that are to be followed in the expenditure of state funds in construction of a new school.  Read the details here:  Beaufort County NC School Board Meeting Agendas...Where are the Agenda Packets? | Eastern North Carolina Now

Secondly, Beaufort County Schools is not following the law in failing to provide legally required documents it is considering in conducting numerous meetings.  In the process this fact is clear:   The School Board is not providing transparency in how it makes its decisions.

Click here for the details:  NC General Statutes ignored by NC DPI, Beaufort County Commissioners, and Beaufort County School Board? | Eastern North Carolina Now

Clearly, the School Board is violating the law in both of these matters.  Consequently, we believe it is incumbent on both the School Board and County Commission to put a hold on any further action on this new school until the Board is in compliance with all of the laws related to this new school project.   

Moreover, there will be a new Board of Education in December.   That board should do a thorough review of the illegal actions of the Superintendent and the Secret Committee that has been making all these decisions without full consideration, debate and approval by the full board.

Furthermore, we believe the newly seated School Board should promptly engage a competent outside study being done before any construction is done.   That study should include an architectural assessment of the existing facilities and a second study, by an independent contractor, assessing the pupil assignment issues that should be considered by the new board.  Such an assessment should not only review the current assignment boundaries but also the current grade structure and the other alternatives, such as K-5 or K-8 elementary school attendance areas, along with the data on alternative busing patterns that could be more efficient than the crosstown busing currently being used in the Washington Attendance Area.

The taxpayers deserve sound planning before spending 50 million dollars on new construction, regardless of whether they are state or local funds. 

Moreover, the new board should immediately develop a plan for facilitating public involvement in this planning process.