Lack of funding keeps repairs at schools a slow process

PENDER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Schools in Pender County aren’t scheduled to reopen until at least October 18. What’s the holdup? Funding, which is what WWAY asked Governor Roy Cooper about during his visit to Wilmington Tuesday.

“We’ve got to get kids back to learning and teachers back to teaching,” Gov. Cooper said.

Superintendent Steven Hill says the recovery funds for school system have already been used up.

Pender County Board of Education said it’s going to cost an estimated $12 million to get schools back open. Chairman Kenneth Lanier believes the damage is the worst in North Carolina.

“They all have to be tested and certified by an industrial hygienist, and we cannot enter those schools until it passes their criteria so we’re waiting on that,” Lanier said.

Governor Cooper directed $25 million from the NC Education Lottery fund Monday to speed up repairs to public schools, but Lanier says they have yet to receive any of that money.

“We need that money and other systems too, not only us,” Lanier said. “Things that we need is to expedite the disbursement of the funds. Within 24 hours if we can get that in our bank account, we can let contracts, by law, we cannot let a contract go in Pender County until we have the funds to back that contract.”

Gov. Cooper says that $25 million goes to the Department of Public Instruction, which will then distribute it as quickly as possible. He did not give a timeline on how long that could take.

In the meantime, Lanier says they cannot combine students from different schools into fewer buildings like other counties have done.

“Their geographical locations are much smaller,” Lanier said. “Pender County is the fifth largest geographic county in the state, and to do that would be almost impossible.”

Lanier says Penderlea School and Pender County Early College were not impacted by any damage and are operating normally.

WWAY is expecting to hear more from school board members and parents at tonight’s meeting and will bring you the latest on WWAY News at 11.