Public Radio for the Piedmont and High Country
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Winston-Salem/ Forsyth County Schools Eyes Bond Referendum For November Ballot

A bond referendum aimed at improving Winston-Salem/Forsyth County schools could be on the November ballot. The school board has compiled a list of around $325 million worth of projects.

The district hasn't had a bond referendum for large-scale school construction in about ten years. But since then, enrollment has increased by more than 6,000 students, especially in the western and southern parts of the county.  

“We have a number of students out in mobile units and what we are trying to do is bring some of those students back into brick and mortar buildings, so when we talk about capacity, that's what we are trying to address,” says Theo Helm, chief of staff for Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools.

The money would also be used to build replacement schools for Brunson Elementary, Paisley Middle, Konnoak Elementary and Lowrance Middle School.

Several other buildings throughout the district would see capital improvements and repairs, as well as technology upgrades.

Helm says the proposed list isn't final. The school board will next hold several meetings inviting the public to comment on the plans. The first one is 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 8 at East Forsyth High School.

Forsyth County Commissioners will have to approve the measure for the fall ballot, along with the amount.

Helm says if they get what they're asking for, a person who has a home valued at $150,000 can expect to pay around $45.00 more a year in property taxes.

 

*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.

Support quality journalism, like the story above,
with your gift right now.

Donate