It’s time to get down to business of education
I’m going to risk being labeled a heretic to respectfully disagree with Commission Chairman Jim Sides and School Board member Chuck Hughes. The business of education includes deciding what building projects are needed and where they are to be built. The ability to make these decisions goes hand in hand with curriculum and assignment decisions. How can a commission determine what type of school building is needed if commissioners don’t know what is to be taught there or how many students will attend? Do the commissioners really want to take on those responsibilities as well? The reason we have a school board that is elected by the voters is to make the business of education their only focus. This separates that tremendous burden from the many other equally demanding responsibilities that rest with the county commission.
Chairman Sides says that if he has control over that money, he would see to it that more revenue would be combined with it and every building need would be met in a couple of years. Really, and this hasn’t already occurred only because you haven’t been calling the shots? The more power and control is consolidated, the greater risk of abuse.
Chairman sides, there is a school system that has long been in need of the type of generosity you have implied. There is a predominately new board that would love to work with you to achieve this miracle. Why wait for a bill that may never be signed into law? Sir, you are in position to affect change from a culture of stagnant politics as usual to one of accomplishment. “Come, let us reason together,” from Isaiah, is a call from God to his people to settle their differences. It is time to quit playing the politics of power and get down to business.
— R. Daryl Cox

Salisbury