Paul Daniels files for District 5; Huey to file next week

From the up-to-date election filings over at the Guilford Co. Board of Elections…

Southeast Greensboro resident Paul Daniels filed today as a candidate for the GCS Board in District 5 for the seat to be vacated by Anita Sharpe.

A downtown Greensboro lawyer and local political newcomer, Daniels has children in the GCS system.

I actually had the pleasure of meeting Daniels a few months ago at a school board meeting. Our meeting was cordial and positive. Daniels cares deeply about both his children and about the lives of other children in the GCS system and he had actually wanted to get involved from a Board standpoint for quite a while.

Now is his opportunity.

He will have my support.

As for my intentions, I will be filing next week. It may be early next week or the middle of next week…or 30 minutes before closing. Stay tuned.

E.C.

It’s your turn on the Bonds

Now it’s your turn to sound off on both the Eastern Guilford H.S. Bond and the big mega-Bond. They both will be on the May 6 ballot.

Whether it is a “yes” or a “no” vote, I will respect the decision of the citizens. I do support the EGHS bond, but I will not actively work to defeat the mega-bond. If it goes down in defeat, it will do so on its own merits (or lack of).

From today’s N&R:

GREENSBORO — Scores of public school boosters helped convince county commissioners to put three education-related bond packages on the ballot this May.

If Thursday night’s county commissioners’ meeting was any indication, voters should expect to hear this spring from passionate parents and community leaders who want real schools, not trailers.

Boosters and detractors spoke out about the spending packages before commissioners agreed to place a total of five bonds on the May 6 ballot.

Here’s a look at what people said and how the commissioners voted.

Guilford County Schools, $412.3 million

For four new schools, 13 renovation and addition projects and upgraded athletic facilities to eight high schools.

What they said: This bond boasted the most supporters. Sharon Shepherd of Jamestown said her research has shown that one in four students in Guilford County learns in trailers. Brick-and-mortar schools are a much better investment, she said, because they last longer.

Clarence Davis of High Point said Andrews High School desperately needs new air conditioning, something the bonds could supply.

Said Margaret Arbuckle, executive director of the Guilford Education Alliance: “The need of 10 years ago is even greater today.”

Only one person, Leon Nutes of Greensboro, spoke against putting the bond on the ballot, saying he wanted more information on how the money would be spent.

How they voted: 9-1 in favor. Commissioner Steve Arnold voted against it. Commissioner Melvin “Skip” Alston was absent for all the bond votes Thursday night.

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E.C.

School Crime: GCS to “investigate”

I said this story wasn’t over…

Turns out, GCS is playing defense again and plans to launch an investigation into how school crime numbers are filed and reported as a result of the CBS-2 report shown Monday.

This from CBS-2 WFMY:

Greensboro, NC — Guilford County Schools has launched an investigation into its school crime reporting practices.

It’s a reponse to a 2 Wants to Know Investigation that found nearly 100 crimes the district failed to report to the state.

Our investigation discovered the numbers don’t add up.

We found cases of sexual assault, robbery even bomb threats police reported, but the system did not.

The district’s school safety officer hopes to find out why.

Tony Scales says he’s requested the dates, times and locations for sexual assaults and robberies that occurred on school grounds.

If it turns out police recorded a larger number of offenses, Scales says he’ll ask principals why the numbers don’t add up.

Here is a statement from a school spokesperson about the district’s investigation.

“The GCS School Safety office has requested information on certain reported crimes from Greensboro and High Point Police Departments and the Guilford County Sheriff’s Department to determine if crimes have been committed on the district’s campuses that GCS was not aware of, and subsequently, not reported. GCS has requested dates, times, exact locations and any victim information that can be legally released. We will report our findings to the community and Board of Education once our analysis has concluded. Meanwhile, the district is developing a set of procedural action items for principals to follow to ensure accuracy and completeness of reporting.”

Source: WFMY News2

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E.C.

GCS opens Super-Search feedback link

From today’s N&R:

 GREENSBORO — Guilford County Schools is seeking public input in its search for a new superintendent.

People who want to comment on the characteristics the Board of Education should look for in its next leader can do so at this link.

Superintendent Terry Grier is leaving the district on March 14 after eight years to become superintendent of the San Diego (Calif.) Unified School District. The district’s interim leaders will be Eric Becoats, chief of staff, and Sharon Ozment, chief finance officer.

Guilford County Schools, with 119 schools and 71,000 students, is the state’s third largest school system.

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E.C.