ELIZABETHTOWN — A Bladen County school will be getting an agricultural center, thanks to a $119,000 grant.
At Thursday night’s Board of Education meeting, guests and board members learned Bladen County Schools has been awarded a $119,000 grant from the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund.
“We attended a meeting the other day, and the Tobacco Trust Fund received 39 grants … and only 19 were awarded,” said Bladen County Schools Public Information Officer Valerie Newton. “We were very happy.”
Newton added the Central Office received a phone call from N.C. House Rep. William Brisson (R-Dublin), who “fully endorsed and advocated on our behalf,” according to Newton.
The money will be used to construct a 50-by-60-foot metal building with an open shelter, which will lie adjacent to the greenhouse at East Bladen. The structure will be used by East Bladen’s Agricultural Department for livestock.
“This is not just going to be about a barn with hay and animals,” Newton informed the board. “The students will have to meet goals as part of the grant.”
While district staff had previously submitted an architectural proposal, Bladen County Schools Facilities Supervisor Lou Neeland told the board he hoped to modify the rendering in order to accommodate outside stalls rather than the ones indoors called for in the plans.
“It doesn’t change the scope of the grant,” he told the board, adding that it may end up actually being less costly.
Newton told the board a design plan would be drafted and presented to the board in January for approval.
In other business, the board:
— Learned Superintendent Robert Taylor was awarded the Friday Medal. See the June 2, 2017, Bladen Journal edition for a full story of Taylor’s award. Taylor was honored Wednesday evening at a ceremony attended by Taylor and other district staff.
— Learned the district’s CTE department led the state in the number of certifications earned. The distinction is the second consecutive year the district took top honors, according to Taylor, who commended the district’s staff and called the department “outstanding.”
— Learned from Finance Officer Sharon Penny that the Department of Public Instruction has released information concerning the allotment reductions for Bladen County’s two charter schools, and it’s significantly more than projected. Last month, the board approved allocating $700,00 from the fund balance in order to cover the projected loss from students who enrolled in charter schools. This month, Penny learned the district will have to dole out $100,000 more than staff thought, as well as losing 1½ more teaching positions than predicted, as well as 12 CTE months. The item was presented as an information item, and the board took no action.
— Approved the school improvement plan and school advisory boards.
Chrysta Carroll can be reached by calling 910-862-4163 or emailing ccarroll@www.bladenjournal.com.