Residents and educators urge Gaston County commissioners to increase school funding

Dozens of parents, teachers and students told the Gaston County Board of Commissioners on May 26 that the county must increase local funding for public schools and be more transparent about budget decisions.

"We are not asking you to raise property taxes, we are asking you to prioritize our schools," parent Britney Elkin told the board during the public-comment period. Elkin and other speakers cited statistics and comparisons with neighboring counties to argue that Gaston County’s share of general-fund spending for education is too low.

Several educators described the human impact of budget choices. "This school year cost me 8.9% of my net income," said Lindsay Weathers, a lead middle school counselor, describing out-of-pocket purchases for classroom and counseling resources. Diane Bush, also a school counselor, said she has been reassigned to cover two campuses totaling more than 1,000 students — "more than four times the recommended school counselor-to-student ratio" — and warned that crisis checklists cannot replace trained mental-health professionals.

Speakers and students described specific closures, staff reductions and lost programs. "Our librarian and counselor are gone next year," said fourth-grader Reynolds Nunn, who asked commissioners to "choose to support our county schools by providing the money that is needed to keep the people who directly impact students each day in their jobs."

Several speakers proposed funding options. Joshua Caleb Winburn listed measures ranging from a one-cent property tax adjustment to a quarter-cent local sales-tax option that, if approved by the state and voters, could generate millions for schools. Commissioner Bob Hovis said staff consulted legal counsel and told the board that the existing Article 43 sales tax cannot be modified for a single county for purposes other than public transportation; creating a new local education sales tax would require a local bill and state approval.

In response to public pressure, Chair Chad Brown said he would put together a working group including Commissioners Hovis and Sheehan and asked county staff to coordinate meetings with the school board. County Manager (unnamed) told the board that "county staff has been actively working with Morgan and the school staff to evaluate both the current financial situation as well as their long term financial needs," and that staff will deliver additional analysis and options before any final policy or funding decisions.

The board did not adopt any new funding measure at the meeting. Commissioners approved a plan to continue joint discussions with school leaders and requested follow-up information from county staff. The board reconvened in a closed session later in the evening and adjourned; the next combined work session and regular meeting is scheduled for June 23 at 6 p.m.