At their most recent meeting, the McDowell County Board of Education discussed different grant proposals they hope to turn in for Golden LEAF money.
In 1999, the N.C. General Assembly created the Golden LEAF Foundation to administer one-half of North Carolina’s share of a multibillion dollar settlement with tobacco manufacturers.
Golden LEAF Foundation’s Community Assistance Initiative is a grant-making process targeting economically distressed counties across North Carolina and is currently being implemented in McDowell County, which could get approximately $2 million.
One of the two ideas presented by Superintendent Ira Trollinger was to join the county in a proposal to get funds to move the vocational department currently at McDowell Tech to the former Universal building.
The move would free up classroom space at McDowell Tech for high school students in the career and college ready program.
“This would allow more of our students to take classes at the community college like they use to with the Huskins Bill,” stated Trollinger.
Board Chairman Russell Neighbors said that he had already spoken to County Manager Chuck Abernathy and County Commissioner Chairman David Walker about the proposal.
“They would like the school board to work with them on part of their proposal for the Universal building just as a part of our proposal,” said Neighbors. “They hope to move the vocational department to the Universal building and David Walker assured me that the county would pay to retrofit the vocational department at McDowell Tech for classrooms that could be used by the school system. That’s another reason they wanted us to make a joint proposal.”
The school board and the county hope that if they and MTCC join forces they’ll have a better chance of getting their projects funded, said Trollinger.
Another proposal the board hopes to submit Golden LEAF is one to expand the One-to-One program.
Starting in January, kids at East and West McDowell junior highs will be assigned their own laptop for school work and One-to-One lessons.
By expanding this program, students would be able to keep those laptops in 10th grade and new laptops could be purchased for students going into ninth grade.
Board Member Terry Frank questioned seeking two projects.
“My question is if we go two items to try and get with Golden Leaf, will it jeopardize one of them,” said Frank. “What I’m saying is do we stand a better chance if we leave out One-to-One out?”
Trollinger said that was uncertain.
“Well, I really can’t answer that,” he said. “We certainly won’t get anything decided on One-to-One if we don’t submit it.”
The board decided to submit a joint plan for Universal with the county and a plan for expanding the One-to-One program.
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