Lunsford said he had been “trying to set up a meeting with the board of education. We have a new superintendent and we need to set up a meeting prior to our spring [budget] meetings.” Lunsford said the purpose of the joint board meeting would be “to see the direction we need to move in next year” regarding education funding in Person County.

The Person County Board of Education has been saying, since the county began finalizing its 2007-08 budget last spring, that local funding was seriously short.

The school board had to make initial cuts in its operating, or current expense, budget but more may come if the schools do not receive additional funding above the $8.5 million allotted by county commissioners for the current fiscal year.

The school system is operating under an interim budget, and has been since July 30.

During the regular July meeting, when the budget would normally have been finalized, board member Ronnie King proposed that the school board investigate the possibility of bringing suit against the county commissioners for the purpose of getting the requested funding.

This followed four years of steady cuts in school funding by county commissioners.

School systems across the state have previously sued commissioners for funding.

The state also has a public dispute resolution whereby school boards can seek mediation if they believe funding from county commissioners is insufficient to operate the schools, but the Person board did not initiate action within the proper time frame.

After using about $750,000 of its fund balance last year to pay for recurring expenses — against the advice of then Supt. Ronnie G. Bugnar — the school board had hoped that the county this year would reimburse that amount and add another $750,000 for expansion of programs, but neither proved to be the case.

The school board requested $10,893,026 for operating expenses during the current fiscal year. County commissioners approved an allocation of $8,479,850, or less than half the increase sought by the school system.

During his first board meeting after assuming the post of Person County Schools superintendent, Dr. Larry W. Cartner presented, on July 19, cuts in positions that would equal about $500,000. Most of those positions, Cartner pointed out, were not filled at the time.

Commissioners Vice Chairman Jimmy Clayton said at this week’s meeting that he wanted “the superintendent to give us the same presentation he’s been giving the PTAs” regarding the needs in the schools and possible cuts that may have to be made.

Cartner has shared a PowerPoint presentation with his Parent Advisory Committee in which he outlines where the schools are in reading and math achievement; the gaps between white and minority student achievement; high school end-of-course performance; writing trends and general ABCs of Public Education trends.

The superintendent then asked, according to the PowerPoint slides he shared with The Courier-Times, where the system needs to go in order to prepare students for their futures.

He noted that today’s students could not be taught using the same methods their parents were exposed to.

Today’s youth, one of the slides proclaims, are digital learners who are accustomed to multimedia. They must know how to find and manipulate data and analyze data and images.

Instead of the old lecture and listen teaching, Cartner told The C-T, students today need to do more hands-on learning and incorporate their technology skills into the classroom.

Students of today will change careers several times, Cartner said, and will need a set of skills that allows them to easily become lifelong learners.

Funding the programs and providing the resources necessary to make sure Person County students can compete with their peers across the nation and the world, said Cartner, should be a top priority for the school board, county commissioners, and parents.

Cartner said, after watching the commissioners’ meeting via the Internet Monday, that, “The public needs to be aware that funds are available in county finances. The board of education is in no way asking for a tax increase” to fund schools operating expenses.

Cartner said he had spoken with commissioners Chairman Lunsford “on two occasions and the county manager on two occasions, at least, to let them know that we’re very concerned and they say they will look at the situation, but we’ve received no word” on the final funding issue.

Cartner added, “I have no axe to grind” with commissioners or anyone else. “It is my job to advocate for the children of Person County, and they’re going to be competing on a world stage, even if they stay in Person County” after completing their education.

“It will cost money,” Cartner said, to prepare those children.

Gordon Powell, school board chairman, also took advantage of the county’s technological offerings by watching the commissioners’ Monday meeting via his computer.

He told The Courier-Times, shortly after viewing the meeting, “I think we’ve attempted to get on the same page” with commissioners. “After they passed their budget, we tried to communicate our needs and concerns in early July.”

At that time, said Powell, he and school board Vice Chairman Jimmy Wilkins met with Lunsford and Clayton “and they left the meeting saying that they’d see what they could do and get back to us.”

Cartner said he would be “more than happy to make a presentation to the commissioners, and share the same information with them” that he has presented to the Parent Advisory Committee.