Thread: NC Schools 'maxing out' on mobile units, official says

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Friday, October 28, 2005
Schools 'maxing out' on mobile units, official says
Some schools don't have the land for them, he says; 60,000 enrollment is projected by 2013


By Danielle Deaver
JOURNAL REPORTER

Sedge Garden Elementary's sick room has multiple uses, including as an overflow cafeteria.
(Journal photo by David Rolfe)


By 2013, if current trends continue, the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County school system will have nearly 60,000 students - and to handle that, officials say they will need 13 new schools, and renovations to 24 existing schools.

"It's purely enrollment growth, and we're maxing out on mobile units," Superintendent Don Martin said.

The building needs that school officials have identified would cost about $405 million.

Without new schools, the school system would have to keep adding mobile units. There is not enough land to continue doing that at some schools, and facilities that all of the students use, such as cafeterias and gyms, can support only so many children, Martin said.

The school system has more than 400 mobile units at area schools now - the equivalent of about 11 schools, Martin said.

And more students are expected. Enrollment is projected to continue to grow at about 2.3 percent a year. Two large new housing developments - Caleb's Creek and Brookberry Farm -are expected to add several thousand children to area schools. The county's birth and immigration rates are also producing a steady stream of students that will keep the schools overflowing for at least the next 17 years, he said.

Even with the new schools, the school system would end up with about 250 mobile classrooms because it would be impossible to build enough for all of the growth, Martin said.

But he said that school-board members probably won't try to ask Forsyth County commissioners to hold a bond referendum on the entire amount.

Instead, they will probably try to have a bond referendum for about $150 million to $200 million in 2006. If that bond package is approved, they will probably come back in three or four years and ask for the rest of the money , Martin said.

For some principals, any relief of overcrowding can't come soon enough. Sedge Garden Elementary School was built for 750 students. There are 1,008 attending there now. There are seven kindergarten classes and nine first-grade classes. Nearby Union Cross Elementary is also overcrowded.

"I really do hope that the new school will be built," said Sedge Garden's principal, Gaye Weatherman. "I know that it will relieve the overcrowding here. I also know that we could open that school up today and it would fill up because of the numbers in Zone 1."

The school system is hoping to build a school in the Caleb's Creek development that would take students from Sedge Garden and Union Cross. The school might be paid for with money from bonds issued by the county commissioners or with money from the bond package that the school system is hoping to get.

Some board members are already looking ahead at how the bonds might be received.

Members of the school board proposed an $80 million bond referendum in the spring and had to withdraw it because it received little community support. Some groups, including CHANGE, or Communities Helping All Neighbors Gain Empowerment, said they plan to oppose the $80 million bond package because it does not include enough money for renovations to existing schools.

School-board member Vic Johnson said Tuesday during a meeting of the school board's building and grounds committee that he is worried about how the group might react to the new bond proposal.

"This CHANGE group - they say half new construction and half renovation. Are we worried about CHANGE at all?" he said.

Martin later said that school officials will do what is needed. About $115 million of the $405 million bond would go toward renovations. The rest would go toward new construction.

"The renovations are needed. We really need the renovation projects," he said. "Once things are fixed up, CHANGE would say things are fixed up. We're not doing it for CHANGE. We're doing it because it's needed."

Send Them Home--Get Them Out!!

Americans and especially North Carolinians can not afford this cost!! It is outrageous, unbelievable NONSENSE!

What if Dell Computers closes their plant in Winston-Salem? Word is some of their "investors" think they'd do better in another country!!

STOP THIS IDIOCY!

Get our troops home from Iraq and to our borders and ports and stop this immediately. How many times in how many ways does this problem have to be shown for Americans to Wake Up and Take Charge of Their Country??

It it's not stopped now, dead in its tracks and these people deported, there will not be a dollar left, a tree standing, enough water, enough of anything. Our country can not sustain this type of growth or population except on Third World levels.

And, it's honest, hard-working AMERICAN'S CHILDREN who are occupying these "Mobile Units". WHY should OUR children be forced to suffer the discomfort of being crammed in these TRAILERS when the problem wouldn't exist if we didn't continue to sit back and let these illegals take over???

My best friend taught in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School system until a couple of years ago. She was in one of those schools that were predominately minorities. She said that they could not even ASK if these people were LEGAL immigrants or not. Seems to me that the first thing that needs to be done on EVERY LEVEL is the government should FORCE every taxpayer-supported agency out there to require proof of legal status before ANY services are provided and that includes an education. The only education I would GIVE them is ENGLISH classes.

My nephew spent his second and third grade in a trailer in Fairfax County, Virginia in a fully developed school district that should not have experienced any new enrollment because the number of homes were fixed, no room for growth, no legal reason for enrollment explosion. Fairfax County is one of the highest income counties in the United States, located in Northern Virginia right outside DC.

Property taxes rise annually by almost 10% in a district whose infrastructure is already in place and paid for; whose residential properties are already fully developed; whose budget should not increase but for a small cost of living commensurate with local price increases which should be more than covered by sales tax revenue that increases commensuate with price increases.

Massive immigration, illegal and increased legal immigration are making this community unaffordable for long-term residents. Single family housing codes have become a joke.

My niece who is 15 and a sophomore has had male foreign nationals in her class that were 17, 18 and 19 since she was 14. When casually Aunt Judy asked a year ago if these students are here legally, she hesitates abit and says, "I'm not sure, but I don't think so".

Now she's dating one......from Peru.

Now she's dating one......from Peru.

Judy, what did you expect? This is what all the PC bullsh!t is all about. Your neice doesn't know any better because it's been crammed down her throat since kindergarden.

How much does NC get from the federal government for the NO ILLEGAL CHILD LEFT BEHIND PROGRAM? Wouldn't NC be better off forgetting this assine program- not taking the money & teaching the AMERICAN children for a change?

My family has 3 teachers who all say American children aren't receiving the education & attention they deserve and we're paying for. One was an AG teacher until 5/6 years ago but no more. Seems the county had to provide ESL teachers for foreigners (mostly mexican so what are the chinese, vietnamese, korean, children doing since these teachers are spanish teachers?) and there wasn't enough money for the academically gifted program. Another prime example of dumbing-down American school children

TWO disgraces! Your niece's, Judy, and the eliminating the AG classes and replacing them with ESL classes. Just UNBELIEVABLE. WHERE are we headed???

Judy--I bet you had a hissy fit when you found out about your niece dating a FERNER! Is he LEGAL??

Bootsie "is he legal"?

We don't know but 90% certain he's illegal. Otherwise why would he be from Peru instead of from here. It's a touchy situation. I've not met him but her parents say he seems to be a real nice young man but 3 years OLDER than my niece and he's in her class. Grrrrrr!!!! It's because they are so behind when they arrive here. I'll probably meet him when I'm up there over Thanksgiving. They just started going out, so maybe it will blow over.

Our children are not protected. Boys this much older should NOT be in her class to begin with. This would never have happened in my school when I was her age. There could only be 1 year age difference in our classrooms.

She was going out with a boy her age this summer. He was quarterback of the football team, great student, Irish, like her and then--Mr. Older Peruvian Cassanova comes along and Poof!!

I know a family from Peru. Mother's here on a student visa, so everybody's legal & kids are in middle school All of them were able to speak English when they came so no special teachers. Their plan is to leave as soon as she graduates. As it should be.

MAYBE, JUST MAYBE it will all be over by Thanksgiving. Do they actually DATE?? LIKE REAL GOING-OUT DATES??? My grandson is 15 also and he had his really first "girlfriend" for a couple of months recently and they've already broken up but all they did was go to football games and such. Does this Peruvian DRIVE???? I bet she will get a little "talking-to" when Auntie Judy arrives for Thanksgiving!!! Maybe a little geography and civics lesson would help!!!! AND, maybe you'll be luck and it will be like had_enuf's friends and will be headed back to Peru ASAP. I hope your niece decides to stay in the good old US of A!! Sock it to her!

Yes at Thanksgiving I'll have a chance to talk to her and find out what's really going on. She has not dated until this summer. Dated the one boy (her age and the quarterback) who was nuts about her and who was really upset when she told him she just wanted to "be friends". Now the older boy who may drive but they don't let him pick her up. They just so far go to friends houses supervised and then either her parents pick her up or his parents drop her off. No "car dating" yet. But I need more "input". Will keep you posted. Her little brother, my nephew, is so far the best source of information. He adores his sister and wants the best for her and well, kinda spies alittle bit. He gives us the scoop, Grandma and Aunt Judy that is.

Also, she'd been taking French--2 years. My niece told me this would be her last year of French. Next year, she's going to take Spanish. There is no end to this. I told her "well, honey, French is such a beautiful language but I can see why Spanish would appear to be a more practical language, the way things are going." She said, "yeah, there's so many people that I can use the language with". To which I said gritting my teeth, "well, yes, I can see that."