LIFT
from pagt AI
of additional students not funded
by the state."
She said that LIFT Academy
officials will continue to talk with
officials with the Department of
Public Instruction's Office of
Charter Schools to try to be reim
bursed for the unfunded students.
Parmon explained the reason
for the discrepancy this way: In the
1997-98 school year, the first year
LIFT Academy was a public char
ter school, the N.C. Department of
Public Instruction funded LIFT
Academy not only for the students
who attended during the first 20
days of school, but students who
were added after the first 20 days.
- "Starting the 1998-99 school year,
we continued to enroll (after the
first 20 days) because the previous
year we were funded for our
increasing average daily member
ship - students that came in after
the first 20 days," Parmon said.
But in 1998-99 DPI no longer
funded students who were added
after the first 20 days, Parmon
said. LIFT Academy found out
about the change in policy in Octo
ber; she said.
She said the school has taken a
number of actions to try to reduce
the budget shortfall. Some
employee benefits were cut in
October The school renegotiated
its food-service contract so that it
would have to pay only for the
actual number of students fed,
rather than a preset number.
"We had. to cut back on sup
plies, such as general office sup
plies and cleaning supplies. The
only thing we have not cut back is
direct services to students," Par
mon said.
She said the staff of LIFT
Academy agreed to a pay cut that
went into effect in January. "The
staff said let's do whatever neces
sary to keep the doors open," she
said.
The pay cut has reduced
employees' salaries about 10 per
cent, she said.
Parmon said that next school
year "from a business perspective,
we may have to take a look at
whether we will be able to enroll
students after the first 20 days of
school."
A lot of the students that LIFT
Academy enrolls after the first 20
days of school are those who are
kicked out of other schools for dis
ciplinary reasons, Parmon" said.
"These students had no alternative
for pursuing their education."
"We need this school," Wanda
Sprinkle, whose 17-year-old son
Lesley, attends LIFT Academy.
"These teachers are good for this
school."
Sprinkle said that if Lesley had
not been allowed to attend LIFT
"he probably would have been in
the penitentiary. He was a straight
F student (before attending LIFT).
He's an A-B student now."
? "I wouldn't take nothing for
LIFT; my child is still in school,"
Sprinkle said.
The school's mission is to
enhance "students' ability to suc
ceed through individualized class
instruction, smaller class sizes and
stimulating academic and
extracurricular approaches. The
school targets students who experi- ,
ence difficulty succeeding in their
current academic environment."
Parmon founded LIFT Acade
my in 1982 as a nonprofit youth
project under the auspices of the
East Winston Restoration Associ
ation. Over a period of time, the
program evolved into a certified
school serving children ages 6-16.
"Initially, its mission was to
provide an alternative, protective
environment for auxiliary educa
tion to students who had been
expelled from the Winston
Salem/Forsyth- County School
System or referred by the local
courts," a school brochure says.
"The name, LIFT, is an
acronym for 'Learning is Fun
Too!"
Ansylene Mitchell, a former
teacher at LIFT Academy, said in
early May that her 403-B retire
ment account with LIFT Academy
was, according to her calculations,
$1,379 short, but she learned later
that LIFT Academy sent a check
April 27 for $1,108.45 for her 403
B retirement account to the com
pany that administers the 403-B
fund. Mitchell said she was gener
ally satisfied.
Mitchell had several other
complaints about LIFT Academy:
She said on several occasions she
was paid late or was not allowed to
cash her paycheck on the same day
she was paid, and that once she
was paid in cash. She also said that
her dental insurance coverage
through the school lapsed because
the school had not paid the premi- .
um, even though she was pa>ing
for dental insurance through pay
roll deduction.
Mitchell said she took a lav oil'
from LIFT Academy effective
March 31 after Parmon gave her a
choice of either taking a 39 percent
pay cut or a layoff.
The 39 percent pay cut would
have been in addition to the pay
cut that went into effect in January.
Parmon said that-, because of state
personnel regulations, she could
not comment about Mitchell.
Jackson
from page A5
straight and narrow path," she
said.
The Rev. James Lewis served
as the master of ceremonies. He
set the tone for comments from
the dinner tables. "We don't
want to think of Gloria as going
anywhere, but as coming home
often. We give her the rewards
she has won. No matter where
she goes, we want her to know
she is very special in our lives,"
Lewis said.
Hezekiah Jackson spoke on
behalf of the Jackson family. "I
am very happy for my sister. We
are a close family, and we have
never been scattered. This is a
transition in our family's life. We
will miss Gloria, but she will
have trouble with me if she does
n't come around. God will take
care of you," he said.
Bishop John Heath dedicated
a the song "Somewhere Over the
Rainbow." He then offered
words of love. "Gloria and I
have been friends down through
the years as we traveled around
the world with the Gospel Music
Workshop. Don't forget about
Winston-Salem," he said.
Sherrie G. Grant dedicated
the solo "Only What You Do
For Christ Will Last" to Jack
son.
Dr. Marion "Pete" Thomas
also offered expressions of love.
He reminded the audience of the
various conventions that he,
Jackson, Heath and other
friends attended together. "Glo
ria had a big car. This was bigger
than a jet. In fact, she could get
12 people in that one car, and it
was not crowded, " he said with
a chuckle. Thomas expressed his
pride about Jackson's promo
tion. "We don't know the price
of the anointing or of God's
favor," he said.
Deacon Thomie Douthit
reminded the audience of the
song that Jackson sang with
such fervor and tears of joy at
the pastor's anniversary for the
late Dr. B.F. Daniels -"One Mo'
Sunny Day."
"You have impregnated us
with your love. We love you.
Come on back. You are always a
part of this congregation,"
Douthit said.
Jackson came forward and
sang "One Mo' Sunny Day" with
strong conviction and expres
sion.
The audience rose to clap
along with her and the band of
friends who sang with her.
wssu
from page AI
administration. At the meeting,
the hot-line was even referred to
as the "no confidence in Alvin
Schexnider line."
"I have not been satisfied with
what's been happening on this
campus.... We think that our chan
cellor does not seem to have a
good relationship with the com
munity, especially the African
American
community," I
said Daven- I
port, who I
graduated I
from WSSU
more than I
50 years ago I
has fl
remained an
active alum
ni. Schoxnidr
Daven
port read some of her comments
from a resolution that she and
other alumni have drawn up.
According to the resolution,
about 30 percent of WSSU fresh
men drop out after their first year
and the school has lost corporate
and community stipport under the
present administration. In total,
about a dozen gripes are con
tained in the resolution, with most
pertaining to the administration's
, running of the school.
Although WSSU has claimed
the CIAA men's basketball title
and has been hailed as one of the
nation's top liberal arts schools by
U.S. News and World Report
within the last 12 months, the
school's finances have dominated
newspaper headlines.
An internal audit last June
determined that Schexnider had
violated spending policies several
times. But all the violations were
considered minor. Last July, ques
tions surfaced about Cone's
involvement in a multimillion dol
lar deficit at
Norfolk
State Uni
versity, ['A
where she | 1
served as the
chief finan- V
officer
before com
ing to JL
wssu
Last ^J
November, Wa"'",l,
the first
director of the university's newly
formed community development
corporation, Thurmond Williams,
was fired after he alleged that fed
eral money had been misused by
the university. However, audits by
General Administration and
HUD found no evidence of the
money being misused.
Williams attended the meeting
last week.
Earlier this year, Cone was
questioned by members of the
board of' trustees after she moved
a quarter-million dollars from the
school's endowment fund to
another account. In an interview
with The Chronicle in March,
Cone said the money was moved
. because it had been placed into
the endowment erroneously.
And Bailey, a former president
of the university's alumni associa
tion, has charged that the grades
of some basketball players were
changed so that they could be
academically eligible for games.
The NCAA is currently investigat
ing the charge.
Although General Adminis
tration officials insist that Gilley's
presence is not indicative of a
takeover by the UNC system, Bai
ley and others are not convinced.
"I have heard that equipment
is now coming into the university
addressed the University of North
^ Carolina at Winston-Salem," Bai
ley said during the meeting.
Marshall said that the wrath
that has developed against
Schexnider may be misdirected.
He and others criticized Broad for
taking the
drastic step I
of appointing I
Gilley after I
Schexnider I
.asked for I
help.
It was a I
move Broad I
made with- I
out the I
knowledge of Bailmy
the school's
board of trustees, which reported
ly has left Theodore Blunt, the
chairman of the board, a little
miffed.
"We have made (Schexnider)
the issue when he is not really the
issue. The issue is what's happen
ing to black institutions," Mar
shall said. "I don't think (Broad)
would have done that at UNC
Chapel Hill or any other institu
tion."
Womble said he wants to set
up a meeting between himself.
State Rep. Pete Oldham, the pres
ident of the N.C. Legislative Black
Caucus and Broad to address,
among other things, the constant
rumor that WSSU is about to be
taken over by the system.
"Some people have a percep
tion whether it's right or wrong -
that this may be the first step in a
take-over," Womble said after the
meeting. "We want to settle the
rumors."
Smith will draft a letter to
Schexnider this week requesting
the meeting. She, Tatum and
other members of the group say
they will attend the meeting if the
chancellor agrees to it.
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The Chronicle's
e-mail address is:
wschron@
netunlimited.net
I
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?HamwerI^^^^^^^H
? oncerNHHW
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