STAFF PHOTO BY OOUO RUTTER
Under The Big Top
Three-year-old Nikki Byrd got a kick out of riding this pony last Friday at For Kids Only day care cen
ter in ShaUotte. Pony rides were part of a circus day at the center. The 85 children performed in circus
acts such as juggling and tumbling. Also pictured are Pamela I- Helms (left), owner of the center, and
Sarah Williamson, who owns the pony.
List Grows For Foster Homes
BY TERRY POPE
You win some, you lose some.
It's a message the Brunswick
County Board of Social Services is
becoming familiar with.
Increased funding has eliminated
a three-year waiting list for day care
services at the Brunswick County
Department of Social Services.
However, a lack of foster homes
in the county has creatcd another
waiting list, a list of children who
have been taken into custody but do
not have a place to stay.
DSS Director Jamie Onock told
the board Monday the need for fos
ter homes in Brunswick County has
reached a crucial stage.
Fifteen children were placed in
foster homes in February, but 11
children are still waiting for place
ment. Families willing to become
foster parents are not that easy to
find, Orrock said.
Board members questioned Mon
day why the waiting list continues
to grow.
"It's a breakdown in the moral
fiber of society," said Orrock. "The
family, as a unit, is not as strong as
it once was."
Reported child abuse, neglect and
exploitation are investigated by
DSS's Children's Protective Servic
es. In February 1990, there were 49
cases of child abuse or neglett re
ported in Brunswick County, a
monthly figure that has remained
steady.
In February of this year, DSS in
vestigated 47 reported child neglect
cases. Of those, 27 were evaluated
to be true cases of neglect while 14
casescould not be substantiated.
Four cases required additional in
formation and two were referred to
another agency.
Children found to be in a physi
cally dangerous environment are re
moved from the home immediately
and usually placed with relatives
overnight.
"What we would prefer to do is
find a temporary family," Orrock
said. "We have no alternative but to
bring them out of that environ
ment."
Case workers must investigate
the complaint and determine if a ju
venile petition needs to be filed to
have the child removed from the
home. If the courts agree, a foster
home must be found.
In other business Monday, Or
rock told the board that the 1990-91
DSS budget is sound. Cuts in state
funding will not require that the de
partment ask for more county funds
to carry it through June, he said.
The board set a meeting for April
10, at 9 a.m., to prepare the 1991-92
DSS budget. County budget packets
are due in to the county manager's
office by April 11.
DSS is expected to begin moving
into its new building at the govern
ment complex in Bolivia by the end
of May, Orrock said. An open house
will be held after the move, he
added.
BCC Briefs School Advisors
On Programs College Offers
Forty-five Brunswick County
high school and middle school prin
cipals and guidance counselors
heard updates Tuesday on programs
offered at Brunswick Community
College.
BCC instructors and administra
tors try to meet regularly with pub
lic school personnel so the two
agencies can work as partners, said
BCC Recruiter Velma Williams, co
ordinator of the event.
The college is presently working
with the public schools to coordi
nate a "two plus two" technical pre
paration program in several voca
tional areas.
Participants in the overview in
cluded Michael Reaves, BCC presi
dent and Owen Weddle, director of
general education; Anita White, di
rector of the college's compensatory
education effort, the Brunswick
Interagency Program; Joyce Hew
ett, director of business programs;
Billy Jjee, electronics lead instruc
tor, Winkie Mintz, welding and air
conditioning, heating and refrigera
tion; Roy Hornaday, lead automo
tive mechanics instructor; Esther
Myles, lead cosmetology instructor;
and Connie Milliken, director of
nursing.
Speakers discussed career oppor
tunities for graduates in various
fields as well as program require
ments.
Mrs. Milliken stressed, for in
stance, the need for students enter
ing the nursing program to prepare
by taking appropriate courses in
high school.
Weddle discussed BCC's new
contract agreement with the Univer
sity of North Carolina at Wilming
ton. Students who take general edu
cation courses at BCC and want to
continue their education beyond the
community college level can re
ceive a transcript from UNC-W as
well as BCC, said Weddle.
This makes it easier to transfer
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Guidance counselors and admini
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Redwine Paints Bleak State
Budget Picture For Schools
Brunswick County school leaders
have their eyes on Raleigh this
week as they work on next year's
budget.
They're watching to see how
deeply a budget subcommittee pro
poses to cut into public school fund
ing and how it will effect local
spending.
Rep. E. David Red wine met with
the Brunswick County Roan! of Ed
ucation and a county commissioner
Monday morning, briefing them on
the state budget situation for the bal
ance of this year and the coming
two-year budget period. He also ask
ed the board to begin thinking about
whether and/or how new district
lines should be drawn for residency
districts for school board elections.
The state, which is required to
have a balanced budget, faces large
shortfalls for both time periods.
All school board members were
present for the special meeting ex
cept Doug Baxley, who had a con
flict in his schedule.
"I don't come bringing any good
news," Redwine said. "This week
and next week are going to be a wa
tershed time in public education in
the state."
Because education ? the public
school, community college and uni
versity systems ? constitute 70 per
cent of the state budget, they will be
affected most by the budget cuts be
ing eyed by both the governor's of
fice and the state's General Assem
bly.
Especially the public schools,
Redwine said, since their allocation
represents 49 percent of the overall
state budget.
As pan of an effort to trim $400
million from the budget, subcom
mittees have already proposed (rim
ming S19 million from the commu
nity colleges budget and $60 mil
lion from the university system bud
get. A panel meeting this week is
expected to decide where to trim or
cut as much S170 million in public
school funding.
Redwine said he is concerned
that if extreme severe budget cuts
are made, the legislature could "but
cher the state budget beyond repair,
causing long term damage" in its
zeal to avoid increasing taxes or
other sources of revenue.
To date, though, he said there has
been little talk about raising addi
tional revenues. That means the lo
cal school system needs to prepare
itself for the worst
"You people have got to support us if we
are going to support you."
? Gene Pinkerton
County Commissioner
He said all programs arc subject
to cuts (X" even elimination. "Every
thing's on the table," said Redwine.
Redwine suggested the school
board follow the example of other
counties and ask county govern
ment for more help in funding.
Pinkerton is past chairman of the
Brunswick County Board of Com
missioners. He and Commissioner
Jerry Jones serve on a liasion com
mittee with two school board mem
bers. The committee was estab
lished last year to improve commu
nication between the two county
^oo,ds, especially relating to the
school system's local budget re
quest.
Monday Pinkerton suggested to
school board members Monday that
mutual support is needed if an ex
panded budget request is to given
consideration.
"When we start hearing you talk
ing you want to be a bigger part of
the budget, you are going to have to
be more supportive of what we have
to do to get that money. Your liasion
committee needs to be supported by
the full board."
While praising increased commu
nication during the development of
this year's budget, he ci'~d the
school board's lack of partcipation
in the county's public hearing on
the budget last spring. "You people
have got to support us if we are go
ing to support you," he reiterated.
Member Robert Slockett defend
ed the board's role, saying it both
ered some members last year when
the county set aside more funds for
jail and social services facility con
struction than for the schools. (The
county was required by the state to
provide additional space for the pro
grams.)
Whether the April round of bud
get cuts will be sufficient for this
year is not certain, depending in
part on the rate of growth in the
state's economy. From July to Feb
ruary the rate was 1 percent.
To make up the S360 million
shortfall predicted by the governor
would would require a growth rate
of at least 14 percent between now
and ihc end of the Fiscal year on
June 30, Redwine said.
If the shortfall ends up closer to
$550 million, as predicted by leg
islative staff analysts, school sys
tems can expect the worst, he said.
Areas being eyed for cuts now or
later include: removal of driver's
education from the schools; with
holding of fourth quarter facility
funds; delaying purchase of text
books, supplies and school buses;
cutting state funds for local units by
$30 per student; unpaid employee
furloughs or even layoffs of admin
istrative or support personnel; early
retirement proposals; and reductions
in benefit packages for employees.
"I'm trying to prepare you for the
worst," said Redwine. "I want to
prepare you because 1 know how
hard it is to plan and I want you to
know how tight it really is.
"I want to paint as bleak a picture
as I can."
School Board Chairman Donna
Baxter said the school system's pre
liminary budget estimate for the
coming year calls for only a 1 per
cent increase in funding from the
county. "We may have to go back
and rethink that," she said, based on
Redwine's briefing.
This year's county allocation was
for $6.8 million for current expense
and S579.905 for capital outlay.
The liasion commiuee began
meeting Monday afternoon to re
view the budget proposal, which is
to be submitted to the county man
ager in May.
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