Chapel Hill-Carrboro school leaders "shocked" by possible school delay

From correspondent Colin Campbell:

A new elementary school in the Northside neighborhood might be put on hold due to funding shortages, the Orange County Board of Commissioners told Chapel Hill-Carrboro school board members last night.

School board members were surprised. The commissioners had previously committed to funding Elementary School 11 – scheduled to open in fall 2011 – and plans to design the building and get approval from the Chapel Hill Town Council are already under way.

“It really does come as a shock tonight that we need to lay off our architect and everyone involved with that project,” school board Chairwoman Lisa Stuckey said.

Superintendent Neil Pedersen noted the issues delaying construction would create, including whether to continue moving the building through the approval process in Chapel Hill and whether to delay moving pre-kindergarten programs housed on the site.

“You already have a fairly significant investment in this project,” Pedersen said. “We need some more discussion about the future of that project.”

Commissioners said they're just not sure the county can afford to move ahead right now.

"None of us want to change the direction in which we were headed for Elementary 11,” board of commissioners chairwoman Valerie Foushee said. “The county’s ability to do it right now is just uncertain.”

Commissioner Barry Jacobs noted that if available funding isn’t enough to build the school, the county might instead fund construction of Carrboro High School’s arts wing. But it’s also possible that funding would not be available for either project.