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Public commenter warns Gaston County schools face staffing and funding shortfalls after partial funding vote
Summary
Heather Brown told commissioners many schools could open the year with about 75% of needed staff and said the board approved $5,000,000 of an $11,300,000 request, leaving $6,300,000 unfunded; she urged the board to prioritize education.
Heather Brown, introduced by the clerk, used the public‑comment period to describe an urgent staffing shortage in Gaston County Schools and to criticize a recent funding decision made during a special session she said denied the public an opportunity to comment.
"The newspaper headlines celebrated the $5,000,000 you approved, but the story our schools will live in... is the $6,300,000 that you chose not to fund," Brown said, telling the board that some schools may begin the year operating at about 75% staffing and that exceptional children are among the hardest hit.
Brown urged the commission to treat education as a top priority, saying teachers and counselors are essential and that reliance on donations and teacher 'wish lists' is no substitute for adequate public funding. She said the funding request was presented as a separate line item and was not fully funded, and she asked commissioners to consider the consequences to classrooms and teacher retention.
Commissioner discussion later in the meeting reiterated concern about regional funding differences: Commissioner Bailey said Gaston County's teacher supplement averages about $4,000 while some comparable counties are higher, and Commissioner Keeger noted differences in tourism revenue that affect county budgets. No new funding vote occurred at the meeting.
