GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. — Guilford County leaders, Board of Education members, and school district officials came together Wednesday after taxpayers voted to pass a $1.7 billion bond to make upgrades and repairs to Guilford County Schools, Tuesday night.
GCS Superintendent Dr. Sharon Contreras was joined at Hairston Middle School Wednesday by Guilford County Commissioner Chairman Skip Alston, Board of Education Members Deena Hayes and Winston McGregor, and officials with the S.M.A.R.T. campaign.
A 2019 study found schools in the district need $2 billion dollars in repairs. $300 million of that money was approved in 2020. The $1.7 billion bond is the next step and will fund three new schools, rebuild 18, and fully renovate 13. According to Dr. Contreras, it is the largest school district bond in North Carolina history.
Dr. Contreras said improving schools in the district has been a dream of hers since joining the district in 2016. She plans to leave GCS at the end of the school year to work as CEO of The Innovation Project.
"I knew from the beginning how I wanted it to end," Contreras said. "I wanted new schools for students and I’m happy to say I’m leaving having passed this bond because this community saw the same thing."
Dr. Contreras opened up about her experience coming into Guilford County Schools and the conditions of students in their learning environment. She mentioned how buckets were placed around the schools to catch leaks falling from the ceiling. She continued to touch on the lack of air conditioning in some buildings and thanked the custodial staff for doing the best they could with the work orders made throughout the school system.
"In the spring and early fall, I had to close schools because of a lack of functional AC," Dr. Contreras said. "In the winter the heat doesn’t work."
The superintendent said even though some people did not vote for the bond, everyone will see the results.
"In the end, I believe that the community is going to be proud, even those who voted no are ultimately going to be proud of these facilities, are going to use the facilities and most of all are going to be proud of our graduates," said Contreras.
Commissioner Skip Alston mentioned how it's their duty as commissioners to assist the school board and work together to fix the issues in Guilford County Schools. Alston along with various county leaders toured the district schools in need of repairs to see the schools first-hand and also show the public.
"A lot of us have not been in our schools in the past 20, 30, 40 years. We didn't know the conditions," Alston said. "I had to see it for myself."
Principals from schools that will be impacted by the bond also spoke at the meeting Wednesday, many thanking Dr. Contreras for her work to pass the bond.
"(Dr. Contreras) should be proud of what she achieved and it’s up to us as the school leaders, as community members to pick up the torch of hope and carry it on and continue her great work," said Ged O'Donnell, the principal of Grimsley High School. "The future is bright and the future is Guilford County Schools."