Public commenters press board on lunch debt, classroom sizes and trailer conditions; district staff say K–3 compliance is met

Two members of the public raised financial and facility concerns during public comment at the Cabarrus County Schools Board of Education meeting on Feb. 10, bringing the issues of unpaid meal balances, modular classroom conditions and K–3 class-size reporting to the board’s attention.

Keisha Sandidge, who identified herself as a resident and speaker, told the board: “Our schools across this district are struggling with lunch balances. Do you know that they are tens of thousands of dollars in debt for lunch balances? … My child's school is over $10,000 in lunch debt, and we are only in February.” Sandidge urged the board to use their platforms and community contacts to address unpaid meal balances and to work with principals to prevent schools from running short of funds.

Later, Paul Wanish told the board that “almost every school campus in Cabarrus County properties now fails to comply with the North Carolina building and plumbing codes.” He described many modular units as “20 by 30 feet wooden structures without any running water,” called the district’s collection of trailers “the largest trailer park in the county,” and urged the board to retain architects or contractors and to engage the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) construction resources to assess code violations and remediation needs. Wanish also said the superintendent is required by law to file K–3 class-size affidavits in April and October and suggested the district’s public records and backups were incomplete.

After Wanish’s remarks, a district staff member who identified himself as Adam Cohen asked Wanish where he obtained the data that showed noncompliance. Wanish said he had filed a public-records request and received partial information showing school averages and a one-page affidavit without supporting backup. In response the staff member said the district is in compliance and offered to meet after the meeting to show the data: “We are in compliance across the board, have been all of last year and all this year in our K–3 classrooms. … I will happily show you at the end of this meeting.”

The speakers urged immediate attention rather than relying solely on a budget cycle. Wanish recommended engaging an architect, using DPI construction resources and preparing documentation due by March 16 for the building inspector; he said the realignment study had not addressed immediate building needs.

The board did not take a formal vote or direct action on the public comments during the meeting; staff offered to follow up with the commenter and to provide the requested records after the meeting.