Schools moving forward

I attended the Wayne County Schools Facilities Committee hearing last Monday at Rosewood High School. As a newspaperman, I was less than charmed. It was frankly a bit boring, with few really stirring moments. As a concerned citizen, I was thrilled.
In fairness, Rosewood is not where you are going to find the controversy that makes for stirring reading in the newspaper. While you can argue that Rosewood Middle School should be replaced, certainly the elementary and high school are in far better shape than many schools in the county, and so far, they are adequate to meet the student populations they are asked to serve.
What the committee heard last Monday was we are thrilled to see you here, coming together as a joint committee between commissioners and school board, ready to begin addressing the school facility issues of the county. We are ready to support a bond issue, if in your wisdom you feel that is the best way to go.
I was particularly moved by Stuart Kornegay’s statements during the hearing and I believe they represent the views of many across the county. As I pointed out in the article, he got the biggest applause of the night, at least one indication that he reflected the views of many in Rosewood.
Traditionally, when you try to sell a school bond issue, you try to address a need in every attendance area. You try to show every area that they have something to gain by supporting a bond issue.
As I suggested earlier, Rosewood really has nothing immediate to gain from the present proposal. Stuart and others rose to say this was not the important thing.
First, there was a recognition that Rosewood had received much in the past (thanks in no small part to Stuart’s father, Bobby Rex Kornegay, a former school board member). As Bobby Rex and others would point out, there were critical needs at Rosewood, and for the most part, they have been addressed.
There is nothing more divisive that the perception that one area is getting more than they deserve while your needs are not being addressed. By not putting in something for everyone, there is a danger that this bond issue could break down on that issue.
What the younger Mr. Kornegay said at the meeting, and what impressed me particularly, was there are other areas of the county hurting, their needs are critical, and they deserve the first share of any facilities construction money. He effectively said the “there is nothing in this for us” argument didn’t hold for him.
He effectively said that the committee should press forward with a bond issue, with confidence that Rosewood would vote for it. He said the funding of facilities needs was overdue, but with getting a means in place to address current needs, when their needs became critical, Rosewood would get theirs.
There were other voices there: a plea for no tax increase and suspicions about re-districting were aired, but those did not resonate. Stuart’s did.
If you want to be divisive, you can find fault with anything. You can find reasons to criticize, put in your preferences, and make sure everything completely suits you.
What is more important at this juncture is we get the ball rolling. There are critical facility issues in this county which have not been addressed for far too long. We can wallow in history and get pulled down by our past, and we can break it down by selfishly pulling it apart to make sure I get mine.
What I heard last Monday night was a determination by this county to do what needs to be done to meet the needs of our students. That voice, which I believe reflects the majority of Wayne County, will continue to resonate.
There will always be other voices. They will speak against any tax increase, for any purpose. They will say this proposal does not meet the needs as I see them and should be defeated unless I get mine.
I urge you to speak out. There needs to be a slam dunk. We need unity, not divisiveness. We need to move ahead.
Now is the time.