‘Empty Pantry Basket Raffle’ to help fill COAT shelves
Inside
Hannah Welborn-Lewis
• Does quality child care matter? Read Pauline McKee’s column — page 4
wins
• More vehicle break-ins reported by sheriff — page 8
Junior Miss North Carolina
Church news......5 Obituaries.............9 Classifieds........11 Police report.........8 Fire report..........8 Sheriff’s report.......8
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Thursday, September 16, 2010
Archdale-Trinity News w w w. a r c h d a l e t r i n i t y n e w s . n e t
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School tax council faces decision on tuition Photo by Michael Hill
Bush Hill party! Games, rides, food ... it all converged into the Bush Hill Heritage Festival held Friday and Saturday, Sept. 10-11. Beverly Nelson, president of the Archdale-Trinity Chamber of Commerce, which organizes the festival, said the 25th celebration boasted the highest attendance yet. In the opening ceremony, the Randolph County Sheriff’s honor guard stood in remembrance of 9/11. In the bottom left photo, Emily Noell takes a spin in the children’s area. The ‘Meet Your Neighbor’ story and more photos are on pages 6 and 7.
Photo by Marsha Ellison
T
he Archdale-Trinity Tax Advisory Council wants to know what taxpayers think about the current policy that exempts the tuition of $384 for students who live out of district but have relatives employed in Archdale-Trinity schools. BY DEBBIE HIGHTOWER “We have 90 students who attend the A-T district from outside, but 82 of those are tuition-free,” said Chairman John Cable. That calculates into more than $30,000. The Tax Advisory Council administers a $2 million budget derived from a supplementary tax levied at 9 cents per $100 valuation in the Archdale-Trinity area. Council members and principals from area schools discussed a possible policy change at the council’s Sept. 8 meeting held at Archdale-Trinity Middle School. Cable said he has had multiple calls about the issue. “One of the things that keeps rearing its head is students coming into the tax district,” said Cable. Council member Charles Eurillo said he has received numerous phone calls and knocks on his door regarding the subject. The $384 tuition rate, set by the Randolph County Board of Education, offsets monies paid by taxpayers who live in the Archdale-Trinity attendance area. The rate is determined by dividing the taxes collected by the number of students in the Archdale-Trinity attendance area. Assessing school staff members a tuition amount would have a negative impact on morale, said Hopewell Elementary School Principal Sharon Harper. “Educators in the system are in their second year of no pay increases,” she said. “I’ve always felt that (fee waivers) was a perk we were able to give them. It is the reduction in employee benefits that will have a negative impact on staff morale. “Some staff will not feel valued as employees because of this change. I do believe that some of Hopewell’s employees may choose to leave their children in their home district and then they may eventually select to move themselves to teach in their home district.” Trindale Elementary School Principal Dr. Terry Burgin said she would rather get less per-pupil allotment than charge school staff members a tuition. Currently, the Tax Council allots $190 per pupil at each school. SEE TUITION ON PAGE 4
Photo by Marsha Ellison
Friends honor those impacted by cancer
B
reast cancer has the potential to affect everyone, as Archdale residents Deborah Phillips and Erin Whittington discovered. BY ROBYN HANKINS
Kim and Dilbert Hinshaw of Cedar Square were among the thousands of participants at the Pink Heals cancer awareness event held
While neither woman has had breast cancer, both have watched friends and loved ones fight — and sometimes lose — their battle with the disease. What could they, two working moms with young children and hectic lives, do to help? The answer is the 60-mile Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure walk. It will be held Oct. 22-24 in Atlanta, Ga. Deborah and Erin, also known as Team Tough Enough, intend to be there — and they intend to walk every single mile. “After lots and lots of soul searching, we chose Tough Enough as our team name,” said Deborah. “Because we’re tough enough to do this.” She is walking for her friend Michelle Burchette. The two first met while working together at High Point Gastroenterology. “I’ve wanted to do the three-day walk since I was in college, but never had the opportunity,” Deborah explained. “When Michelle got sick again, I decided this year was it — I was going to do this walk come hell or high water.” She registered and started raising money after Michelle, who had fought breast cancer before, had a recurrence in January. Sadly, Michelle would not live to see Deborah walk for her — she lost her 3½-year battle with breast cancer in
Deborah Phillips, left, and Erin Whittington February. “After that, I felt even more motivated to walk every single mile,” Deborah said. “Michelle never stopped smiling through her pain, even on her hardest of days. So, I will take on this challenge with a smile on my face, knowing every step I take is one step closer to a cure.” Erin’s motivation is no less strong. She is walking for Jerri McDowell, the mother of her daughter’s friend, who is currently battling breast cancer. SEE WALK ON PAGE 12
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