Last night the Cumberland County Commission made a small concession to the board of education, which is keeping schools closed while it asks for millions more in funding.
The school board would need property taxes to go up nearly 30-percent to get all it wants. The county commission approved a fraction of that, an additional 3-cents of the current property tax, to be diverted from debt service to schools.
The board will have a special meeting Thursday to come up with a bare-bones budget, which will likely end up cutting personnel and school programs. Until a resolution is reached, says board chair Shirley Parris, schools will remain closed as they have since August 11th. She and other school officials decline to set a deadline for school to start.
“We don’t have any choice but to get these children back in school. I mean, we’ve got to start, or we’re going to be going to school all summer next year.”
Cumberland County schools may have no choice but to open if the mayor has his way. County Executive Brock Hill filed a lawsuit in chancery court late last week that would force the system to open its doors. His suit will likely be heard in court Friday.
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