Bond vote, state action good for county schools
Published 5:00 am Monday, September 23, 2002
Last week was a good one the Lincoln County School District asvoters approved a bond issue for school improvements and a darkcloud over district finances was removed by the State Board ofEducation.
Following Tuesday’s 69-percent approval of a $3.8 million bondissue, state education officials on Friday voted to remove afinancial advisory that was placed on the district in 2001 becauseof poor records and embezzlement. Superintendent Perry Miller saidthe district’s problems were not with money but withrecord-keeping.
“I am pleased that the financial integrity of the district hasbeen restored,” Miller said following the state board vote.
Miller and state education officials are to be commended fortheir prompt response and quick action to resolve theadvisory-related concerns.
Evidence of the quick action is the fact that a state-appointedfinancial advisor was with the district for less than one year. Inmost cases, school officials said, an advisor stays with a districtfor 18 months or more.
Voters have chosen to give school officials additional money toimprove the district’s four campuses. The bond issue will addressbuilding concerns, and removal of the advisory status is a goodsign that bond money and other school funds are being accounted forproperly.