Both supporters and opponents of the $970 million Wake County school bond recognized the need to find innovative ways to build schools. Public-private partnerships was at the top of the list.
Yesterday, the Wake County Schools decided to take public-private partnerships off the table. Did you really think that all of their talk about innovation and reform during the bond campaign was in earnest? Sucka!
Here are the reasons why public-private partnerships are off the table:
1. We get the money, you get the bill.
2. “With $1 billion approved, we don’t have to commit to a lot more alternatives.”
3. Public-private partnerships require more study.
4. “We have a very responsible and competent organization [in the school construction staff].”
5. Public-private partnerships only look appealing because of “marketing.”
6. Developers would still be bound by many of the same regulations that the school district follows.
7. Developers are not able to build schools cheaper.
8. The earliest any developer could get a new school ready for Wake would be 2009.
9. These kinds of deals are more for smaller counties that don’t have as much experience in school construction as Wake.
10. Charlotte-Mecklenburg will be leasing schools, but that was a special case because that county is dealing with the defeat of a recent bond request.
Number ten says it all.
