The county last month said it can’t give Weldon City Schools $1.3 million to pay an architect to design a new high school so both boards will head to the mediation.

The county has set aside $25,000 in legal fees in case it has to go to court with the Weldon City Schools board of education over the matter.

Pattie Cotton, chair of the school board, said in a letter to board of commissioners Chairman James Pierce, the issue centers on the county’s decision to fund the school system with $832,856.

According to the June 24 letter obtained by rrspin.com, $727,625 is for current expense and $105,231 is for capital expense.

Cotton notes in the hand delivered letter the school system requested $3,037,448.14 — $1.3 million for current expense and the remainder for capital outlay. “The funds appropriated by the board of commissioners did not include the requested funds to hire an architect to design a new high school for the students in Weldon.”