Let’s go there for a moment.
1. We are still in a pandemic with schools closed and social distancing enforced. No telling how long this pandemic will last. But, if the new auditoriums were in existence at this very moment, the auditoriums could NOT be used. Making them useless.
2. Only building auditoriums at Burns and Crest High Schools still leaves Burns and Crest High Schools’ facilities inferior to Shelby and Kings Mountain High Schools.
3. All four of Cleveland County’s High Schools are over 50+years old and there are still NO strategic plans to renovate or replace any of them. Or any of the other 25 schools for that matter.
4. Also, Shelby and Kings Mountain High School’s sports facilities are much better than at Burns and Crest High Schools.
5. There are no mechanisms for public input in the design and specifications for the new Auditoriums supposedly for Burns and Crest High Schools.
6. There no useful planned purposes for the auditoriums at Burns and Crest High Schools. Just build them and maybe somebody can figure out what to do with them.
7. Just building auditoriums at Burns and Crest High Schools will preserve the inequity of facilities for at least 40 more years.
8. New buildings constructed by Cleveland County, such as the New North Shelby School project, the LeGrand Center, the Cleveland County Health Center and Shelby Middle School have all gone over budget by 40-60%. Making the likely cost of the new auditoriums $28-$32 million. Where will the additional $8-$12 million come from?
9. Testimony at the February 5th 2021 “secret” School the Board Operations Committee Meeting indicated CCS has major financial shortcomings in the present Capitol Projects list. How will funding be raised to keep the other aging schools and facilities at CCS in a good and safe state of repair?
10. The 2020-2021 Budget Resolution passed by the School Board on January 25, 2021 had no provisions for the Minimum $5 million in CCS funds for construction of the Auditoriums at Burns and Crest High Schools, much less the $8-$12 million in likely cost overruns. Where will this additional funding come from?
Folks, other than the Shelby Star publishing of the CCS Press Release regarding auditoriums for Burns and Crest High Schools, no legal school board vote to actually build those auditoriums has occurred. Or to even accept that $15 million Grant mentioned in the Shelby Star article. Is this any way for a $160 Million per year operation like CCS to do business??? The correct answer is not NO. But Hell NO. New School Board Majority included.
Folks, be sure to read these two articles about the black convicted felon getting elected to the Shelby High School Student Body President.
SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS -- FROM PRISON TO STUDENT PRESIDENCY - Orlando Sentinel From Juvenile Felon to Student President _ Voice of America - English
