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Resident shows commissioners photos of damaged school facilities, board urges contact with school board
Summary
A Burlington resident presented photographs and inspection findings for three schools, alleging water damage, rusted steps and peeling paint. Commissioners thanked him, acknowledged county funding limits, and urged him to take the concerns to the school board; the board voted to allow him extra time to explain.
A Burlington resident told the Alamance County Board of Commissioners that multiple county school buildings show maintenance problems that the annual health inspection did not capture, and he asked county leaders to press for repairs.
"My name is Jose Molina. I'm at 413 Heli Long Lane in the city of Burlington," Molina told commissioners during the public-comment period, then described photos and health reports for three schools—Andrews Elementary, Cummins High School and Broadview Middle School—alleging water stains in ceiling tiles, clogged gutters leaving standing water, rusted metal on steps used daily by students, peeling paint and dead trees on school grounds.
The resident told the board he had emailed photographs to commissioners and asked for more attention from county and state officials. Chairman (name not provided) acknowledged the reports but explained the county health department conducts annual inspections and "cannot mandate the corrections," saying formal authority to require repairs rests with the school board. "That's up to the school board and we county commissioners have no way of enforcing or making the school board do anything," the chairman said.
Commissioner Thompson recounted paint and maintenance problems at Cummins, saying a contractor used the wrong paint and left work unfinished. Commissioner Lashley told Molina the county had provided more than $55,000,000 to the school system this year for problems and again urged Molina to raise his concerns with the school board. "Ask them why these schools are this way," Lashley said.
Before the public comment period ended, a commissioner moved and a colleague seconded a motion to allow the speaker additional time to describe his evidence; the board voted in the affirmative. Commissioners noted they had not received Molina's emailed photographs prior to the meeting and requested he resend them and attend the school-board meeting in November if possible.
The board took no formal action to compel repairs or to open an enforcement proceeding; members emphasized that the school board controls maintenance decisions and that county health inspections are limited to health code items and do not substitute for a full facilities audit. Molina's concerns were recorded for follow-up and commissioners encouraged continued engagement with the school board.
