The July 18 letter, sent to county board of commissioners Chair Vernon Bryant and signed by Credle and Weldon Superintendent Anitra Wells, said, “First we wish to make clear that we do not believe that adequate or just negotiations were held between our district, Weldon City Schools, and Roanoke Rapids Graded School District in an effort to devise a joint proposal for sharing sales and use taxes with Halifax County Schools.”
Secondly, the letter stated, “We are not in agreement with the proposal as presented by RRGSD to distribute these funds between the three districts using a formula that includes a base amount distribution with the remaining 50 percent distributed using (average daily membership).”
Weldon schools, the system said in the letter, does “share the sentiment that if Halifax County Schools becomes authorized to levy a supplemental school tax, then any proposed method of distribution is nullified.”
While Weldon had originally proposed $180,000 to $190,000 for the county school system — Roanoke Rapids is giving $211,527.60 — the finalizing of Weldon’s current fiscal year budget called for tough decisions by the board, the letter said. “We find ourselves with major budget constraints. However, the Weldon City Board of Education has unanimously agreed to offer a 10 percent share of our sales and use taxes with Halifax County Schools.”
Credle told commissioners Weldon schools had to implement a reduction in force. “We still wanted to share some of our funds.”
Commissioner Patrick Qualls said the intent of the discussions were to come up with an equitable funding solution. “I’m disappointed this process stalled.”
Between what Roanoke Rapids is funding and what Weldon is funding, Qualls said, “That’s a big difference. In my opinion I don’t think it’s equitable.”
The only say commissioners have in the matter is on the method of sales and use tax distribution, either using the ad valorem method, which commissioners agreed to stick with earlier this year, or the per capita method. Going to the per capita method would have hurt the county school system as well as rural fire departments, commissioners contended in early discussions.
While Credle contended the plan has to be approved by commissioners through a resolution as well as state lawmakers, County Attorney Glynn Rollins said, “This is the first time I’ve heard some kind of legislation has to be adopted. The sales and use tax is money that belongs to Weldon City Schools. I don’t know what the resolution is about. I don’t know what the legislation is about.”
Commissioner Carolyn Johnson said, “To me this has been disappointing. Halifax County Schools needs more money. What we did was set up the process.”
Claude Cooper, chair of the county school board, said he was pleased with the amounts pledged by Roanoke Rapids and Weldon. The matter is scheduled to be discussed by the school board this evening. “It’s hard when you don’t have anything. We don’t have a lot of funds.”
Cooper said, “It’s hard for me to talk about someone else’s money.”
He said, however, the money pledged, “For Halifax County will go a long way. I’m tired of reading we’re committed to educational genocide. Sometimes you don’t have what you need to get there.”
