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Guilford Commissioners Will Discuss Budget, Bond Referendum For Schools

Guilford County School officials are working on a plan to restart in person classes for the new academic year. Like many districts, they're still unclear what that will look like. KERI BROWN/WFDD

Guilford County Commissioners are expected to vote on the annual budget at their meeting on Thursday evening. They'll also discuss putting a measure on the November ballot for school construction.

The board is considering a $300 million bond referendum. That money would be used for infrastructure upgrades and improvements for the school system. A facilities study identified $2 billion in capital needs.

Commissioner Melvin "Skip" Alston says like many counties, they're dealing with a tight budget as they address the pandemic and look for solutions. He says more local investment will be needed.  

“It's not enough to address the needs of the schools, so I'm going to vote for the $300 million, but I'm doing it reluctantly because $300 million is better than no million.”

Last month, Guilford County Commissioners approved putting a one-quarter-cent sales tax measure on the November ballot. Alston says if approved by voters, that money would also go towards future school construction.

Meanwhile, the county is setting aside $10 million in federal CARES Act funds to help schools with the reopening process.

Guilford school leaders estimate it would take at least $98 million to implement extra safety measures to reopen buildings for in-person classes. That includes protective equipment, additional staff, and other changes.

You can follow WFDD's Keri Brown on Twitter @kerib_news

Keri Brown is a multi-award winning reporter and host at 88.5 WFDD. She has been honored with two regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her stories about coal ash, and was named the 2015 radio reporter of the year by the Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas (RTDNAC).Although she covers a variety of topics, her beats are environmental and education reporting.Keri comes to the Triad from West Virginia Public Broadcasting, where she served as the Chief Bureau Reporter for the Northern Panhandle. She produced stories for the state's Public Television and Radio programs and was honored by the West Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters Association for her feature and enterprise reporting.She also served as an adjunct instructor at Wheeling Jesuit University and Bethany College in West Virginia. She worked with the Center for Educational Technologies in Wheeling, WV, and other NASA centers across the country to develop several stories about the use of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts in the classroom.Keri's journalism career began at WTRF-TV 7 in Wheeling. She worked in several roles at the station, including the head assignment editor. She also was a field producer and assignment manager at WPGH-TV Fox 53 in Pittsburgh.Keri is a graduate of Ohio University. When she's not in the studio or working on a story, she enjoys watching college football with her family, cooking, and traveling.Keri is always looking for another great story idea, so please share them with her. You can follow her on Twitter @kerib_news.

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