With all the confusion surrounding funding for the proposed downtown hotel, Guilford County Schools’ pursuit of federal stimulus bonds has gone underreported. GCS has received a $17 million allocation of qualified school construction bonds in 2009 and expects the same allocation for 2010.
For the time being, school staff submitted a list of projects totaling $17 million —- for which the second allocation would be used —- and the list includes projects such as HVAC upgrades and —-get this —- door and window repairs at several schools —–things the system should do anyway. Of course, Guilford County commissioners are pushing the school system to use the money for new construction included in $457 million bond voters approved back in 2008. The board resisted that temptation, though I’m not sure which is worse —- transferring the proposed Northern Greensboro elementary school to fed bonds in order to take advantage of better financing terms —- taxpayers sure won’t see the savings —- or using fed bonds for basic maintenance.
Problem is the economy’s still crap right now —nobody’s selling nobody’s buying, nobody’s lending. The county still hasn’t issued the bonds from the first allotment. Good luck fixing those windows, GCS.
