Onslow Co. School district approves $150 million expansion plan

The Onslow County Board of Education met with the Board of Commissioners Wednesday and approved
an expansion plan, as many of the county's schools had already reached full capacity.

According to the plan, the school system saw about 259 students each year.
Administrators were expecting to see more than 4,000 in the next
five years.

Onslow County Manager Jeffrey Hudson said this influx of students could be
because the county is one of the fastest-growing areas in North Carolina.
With strong commercial business and a large military community, visitors
and other people were constantly streaming in.

With this growth, the Board of Education wanted to build five new school
sites:

1) replace Richlands Elementary School
2) build a new southern area elementary school using the old Dixon Middle School site
3) build a new west central area elementary school
4) replace Dixon Middle School
5 build a high school vocational center.

School system leaders also wanted to expand Northwoods Park Middle School and
Parkwood Elementary School.

Hudson said the county government would borrow the money needed from bonds. The
money would go toward safety, security, construction and communicatons.

To help pay back the funds, the government would need to raise property
taxes up to 6.65 cents per $100. With this jump in property tax, average families could pay a little more than $118 more in
property taxes.

But before any of this can happen, the public must vote on whether or not
they want the expansion plan to take effect in a general vote ballot on May
14. If Onslow County residents vote yes, they would agree that the government may raise property taxes to make the plan happen.

Some people supported the expansion because they wanted a safer and stronger
learning environment for students.

"Education is really important," said Bethany Break, an Onslow County
resident. "I don't have any kids right now but we plan on having them in
the future. And I'd really like to know that they're in a very good school
system."

One former substitute teacher hds seen overcrowding firsthand.

"I think classroom overcrowding right now is beyond where it should be,"
said Jude Becker. "Classrooms should be smaller so students get the
attention they deserve."

Others weren't too optimistic about the possible tax increase.

"My husband is about to retire at the end of February," said Kay Brandon,
a concerned resident. "We're definitely going to be on a fixed income and
this is a big jump in property taxes."

"Schools are great, and I have two grandchildren in the schools," said
Carol Huntoon, another concerned resident. "But you can only afford what
you can afford."