The Alamance County Board of Education ponders the propriety of building a new high school during tough economic times:
“I’m convinced we need a new high school,” board member Mary Erwin said. She said she’s concerned that Assistant Superintendent Ronnie Wall and others have said a new high school could be five years down the road if a decision to build one were made right now.
But, she acknowledged, “the timing couldn’t be worse for something like this.”
Meanwhile, Guilford County Schools board member Darlene Garrett is in favor of hiring an architect that built (yippee!) a LEED-certified school in Catawba County while keeping costs down and change orders minimal.
But GCS staff is pondering the propriety of hiring a non-MWBE contractor:
The rejection of CBSA Architects enraged the usually cheerful Garrett, who demanded an explanation. Guilford County Schools Executive Director of Facilities and Construction Andrew LaRowe replied that issues other than cost were considered, including whether or not a firm was local and whether it was minority or woman-owned.
Garrett shot back, “I guess consistently building cost-effective schools is not a criterion for Guilford County Schools.”
LaRowe replied, “That’s not a statement we would make.”
Garrett said, “That’s what it looks like.”
Rhino reporter Paul Clark is around Garrett more than I am, but I wondered about his “usually cheerful” characterization because she certainly doesn’t seem cheerful at school board meetings. I guess can understand why.
