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Buff: Things you should remember about Sam and Buddy

Tim W. Buff

Published: October 28, 2009

Morganton, NC - On Oct. 6 I attended the forum for school board candidates. Buddy Armour and Sam Wilkinson attempted to pass the buck and lay blame for the school system's financial woes on Tracy Norman and what they call the board majority.
It is evident there has been a lot of misinformation. Some facts you need to know about Buddy, Sam and some of their previous board majority pals:
• You voted down a new high school. They built two new high schools.
• $40 million was the projected cost for the schools. More than $60 million is what you ended up paying for these schools.
• You are paying more than $2 million a year to operate the schools you said don't build.
• In 2005 when Buddy Armour was chairman of the board, the county commissioners were sued for lack of funding.
• Under Buddy Armour's leadership a deal was made that gave half of any new money the school board received to the county commissioners. As a result, this deal allows the commissioners to rake in the equivalent of half of the lottery funds designated for education. No wonder the commissioners are sitting on a $10-million fund balance. Wonder how long it would take to restore the certified supplements, classified hours, coaching supplements and provide classroom supplies if his decisions had been in the best interest of the schools and students.
• A major finding of the SACS CASI report was board policies. Buddy and Sam have been on the board for 12 years and the policy manual had not been updated since 1991. This past year, under the leadership of board chair Tracy Norman, the Board Policy Manual updates have begun. This was prior to SACS CASI. Buddy and Sam should explain why they neglected their duties regarding policies and take responsibility for their lack of action and the impact on our schools' accreditation. We should be asking who brought SACS CASI here. It's hard to believe someone would jeopardize our children's educational future for political gain.
• Legal fees. The board of education has been paying $24,000 dollars a year for a lawsuit settlement for years. This happened on Buddy and Sam's watch.
• While Buddy and Sam were in the majority, how many thousands of dollars were spent on their special counsel from Asheville because of the issues with Ray Childers and WA Young elementary schools?
• Thousands of dollars were spent trying to remove Tracy Norman from the board. This failed attempt resulted in three lawyers being paid with tax dollars, including her legal fees.
Since the 2007 election, an organized effort has disrupted our schools. Some began complaining about issues the board majority had just inherited.
I have sat and listened to SOS/SWAT supporters yell insults, attempting to bully and intimidate. They have no regard for rules that would allow everyone to be heard.
People I once had great respect for — some of my children's teachers now retired — have been a disrespectful example to young people. Do you think you, your children or employees of our schools would be treated differently by SOS/SWAT mod if they get elected? I don't think so. We don't need, bullies in leadership of our schools.
Remember the 2005 school board election between Bryan Grady and Buddy Armour and how Bryan was wronged. Sounds like a lot of similarities this go-around. Don't settle for this a second time. Vote Tracy Norman, Diane Mobley, Linda Minich and James Stamey.