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Public speaker urges Moore County officials to protect school funding, proposes local taxing authority
Summary
At the March 10 Moore County Schools meeting, public commenter John Mizziak urged the board to seek assurances from county commissioners that they will protect district funding and suggested districts seek local taxing authority; he cited prior use of surplus funds and federal funding levels.
John Mizziak addressed the Moore County Schools Board of Education during public comment on March 10, urging board members to secure a commitment from the county commissioners to protect school funding and to lobby the state legislature to allow local school taxing authority.
Mizziak told the board that "last year, Board of Commissioners forced you to budget the use of about $3,000,000 of accumulated surplus to balance your current year's school budget" and said he believed the surplus balance had returned close to last year's level because of unfilled positions. He asked the board, ahead of a scheduled joint meeting with commissioners, to get an explicit guarantee that commissioners would fill potential district shortfalls that might result from changes in federal education funding.
Citing local reporting, Mizziak said public schools in Moore County receive roughly $20 million a year in federal funding ("Per reporting in the Sand Hill Sentinel, public schools in Moore County, I assume including, public charters, get almost $20,000,000 a year in Federal funding"), and he recommended that North Carolina districts push the state legislature to allow each district taxing authority so local voters would directly determine school funding.
The board did not take action during the meeting in response to Mizziak's remarks.
Ending: Mizziak's comments asked the board to pursue assurances and policy changes beyond the board's direct authority; the speaker urged a structural change in how school funding decisions are made in North Carolina.
