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online: nwobserver.com email: editor@nwobserver.com

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Hello – is the School Board awake?

In a recent school board meeting the “consent agenda” included an item D, “2020 - 2021 Budget Amendments/ Transfers Report.” This report, along with supporting documents, equaled 18 printed pages with details of amounts moved from one budgetary account to another, with many of the items involving millions of dollars per line item. The total movement of dollars was in the hundreds of millions.

Linda Welborn, board representative from District 4, requested this item be pulled from the consent agenda, and her request was granted.

When the meeting progressed to discussion of this report, Welborn asked a series of questions which took about four minutes. Anita Sharpe then asked a series of questions which took about three minutes. The board then voted to pass the report as written.

I am amazed that the majority of the board had no questions at all on 18 pages of figures which moved hundreds of millions of dollars around within the budget. Most of the board members would have allowed that report to go without any questions at all if Welborn had not requested it be pulled from the consent agenda.

The definition of a consent agenda is: “A consent agenda groups the routine, procedural, informational and selfexplanatory non-controversial items typically found in an agenda.”

Hmmm, the majority of the existing school board members consider a report that moves hundreds of millions of dollars around the budgetary system a routine, non-controversial item. I find that disconcerting.

Lynn Andrew HIGH POINT start exiting cars at 8 a.m. and are not finished at 8:30, but are still counted late if they arrive after 8:30. Shouldn’t they start unloading cars earlier?  NWO’s editor for thinking “Karen” isn’t a form of bullying. PTO’s and NWO’s implied message to kids: rules only matter when we agree with them and it’s OK to call people names when a valid point is raised. Brilliant!  The woman who has been sitting and dancing in the middle of the road along Lewiston, near Shoreline Drive, at various hours of the day and night. Concerned she will get hit. Please everyone, be careful driving through that area.  Oak Ridge Elementary and the Town of Oak Ridge for not coming up with a better solution for school dropoff and pickups. Twice every school day, more than 200 cars race through our quiet neighborhood at 40+ mph. It’s not fair.  The Summerfield resident who was rude and used off-color language at the meeting about a church being built (on Stanley Huff Road). You knew the pastor and church elders were a captive audience. I was embarrassed to even be there.  The director of Oak Ridge Town Park for shutting down the fields March 19 due to a “threat” of rain the night before. Fields were lined and ready to go. It never rained. Let the kids play!  The person griping about the fire truck parked at Bi-Rite. It was parked up against the curb, leaving ample room for a full-size SUV to get in and out. Your ugly note on the truck plus a gripe was unnecessary.  People who are dumping trash, mattresses, recliners, etc., on the lot near the intersection of Bunch and Northwest School Road. It’s a private lot, so the county and DOT can’t touch it. Have more respect for our town and environment!  The person griping about the Volkswagen driver. Thanks for your continued interest in my driving route. Tell me what you’re driving so I can wave next time! I also appreciate the interest in my children’s well-being. It takes a village!

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