Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / Aug. 12, 1999, edition 1 / Page 12
Part of Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
LIFT ' from page AI - 1997-98 school year.) Z There is some question about 'whether the tax bill was initially ~ paid with state money, but offi - cials said it was later replaced with other sources of revenue. ?LIFT Academy had a deficit -.of $90,368 in the 1997-98 school - year. I Kirk said Friday that LIFT ; Academy officials have told state ; officials that the $90,000 deficit ? has been reduced to $60,000. "We want to confirm that," he said. Kirk also said that LIFT . Academy has put together a ; financial plan that "all sounded ? real good," but a state audit team I will go to the school within the next several days to check into the school's finances. Kirk said that the state has had trouble getting specific informa tion from LIFT Academy about how the school is going to correct its financial problems. "We don't appreciate the lack , of cooperation." he said. "They've responded but not (with the spe cific information the state sought)." He said the Charter School Advisor) Committee raised ques tions about the finances of 19 charter schools, and 17 of the 19 schools have resolved the matters. LIFT was one of the two schools tha| did not. he said. VS R Dowe, a business consul tant, was hired by LIFT Academy " to help the school correct its financial problems "We have developed a very strong and justifiable plan that puts us into a positive (position) immediately," Dowe said in an interview last week. He said the plan streamlines salaries and wages to cut costs and has strong accounting controls. For example, no money may be spent unless it is budgeted, he > said. To keep tabs on the school's finances, he said, "We want to generate an income statement and balance sheet after each month's activities." Also LIFT Academy will no longer accept students for which it receives no government funding. In the past LIFT would take in any child rather than let the child be on the streets, and in many cases the school was not paid, "Dowe said. Also the school is trying to - ? raise its own money for certain expenses, Dowe said. For example, he said, the school's football pro gram is doing some fund-raising. Also, the school has delayed additional capital expenditures such as computers until the third and fourth quarters, Dowe said. LIFT Academy "is a, business all the way now," he said. "If allowed, it will be'a positive busi ness and will have a very positive impact on at-risk children." Dowe said that if you looked at the school's balance sheet as of July 30. the school was in the black, r\ ! * L/UWC, lUIIIICI U1ICUIUI Ul II1C ,, Small Business and Technology Center at Winston-Salem State University, declined to give more specific information about LIFT X Academy's finances, referring those-questions to Earline Par mon, director of the school. Par mon could not be reached for comment late last week or this week. The school does have a host of supporters in Raleigh. "I'm very much in favor of LI FT....Teachers are turned on," state Sen. Ham Horton of Forsyth County, who represents the 20th District, said. "Students are learning. It's inconceivable to have any right-thinking people talking about (revoking) their charter." Horton is a staunch supporter 6f the school and vowed to help LIFT keep its charter. ."Some people in Raleigh see charter schools as a threat to the "public school monopoly," Hor ton said. "They raise one stum bling block after another (for charter schools)." Horton said that LIFT Acad emy officials were not given the ? ?? opportunity to speak before the State Board of Education. "I understand it was more like a kan garoo court than a full hearing,'' Horton said. "They didn't give people (from LIFT Academy) an opportunity to answer questions," he said. Kirk said that there is he need for officials of LIFT Academy to appear before the State Board of Education because the Charter School Advisory Committee rep resents the state board on charter school matters and officials from LIFT Academy and other schools having financial problems were given the opportunity to appear before the Charter School Adviso ry Committee when the commit tee was considering those matters. Horton said that LIFT Acade my is "a happy place. It's a place w here learning can take place. The faculty are excited about teach ing....Students seem to be bright. They are orderly. The place is spotless. It's a better atmosphere foe learning than many of our public schools." The school has done "a whale of a job for 18 years" taking stu dents public schools have about given up on and turning them into really good citizens for our com munity," he said. He said, "I understand things (LIFT Academy was) accused of - financial mismanagement either were not there to begin with or have been corrected." ? ? . ? i i i ? n orion saia ne pians 10 asK state ofTicials to allow LIFT Academy to continue to operate as a charter school. Lt. Gov. Dennis Wicker was the only member of the State Board of Education to vote against the motion to begin the process to revoke LIFT Acade my's charter. Bob Phillips, the lieutenant governor's press secretary, said Wicker "had conversations with people who are affiliated with the school and (he) understands they have been very successful with stu dents at the school." Wicker is "very Impressed" ? with LIFT Academy and wants to give the school more time to see if they can resolve their financial sit uation, Phillips said. "This is a program targeting at-risk kids and is doing a very good job....He (Wicker) wanted to exhaust all aufenues to make the school succeed," Phillips said. Jane Norwood, vice chairman of the State Board of Education, said she voted in favor of begin ning the process to revoke LIFT Academy's charter because she had no indication the school had answered the state's questions about the school's financial prob lems and she had no indication the school had provided data showing the school's success rate in educat ing students. Norwood said she was con cerned that LIFT Academy offi cials had time to ask some state legislators to intervene on .the school's behalf but had not taken time to present the requested information about the school's finances to the State Board of Education and Charter School Advisory Committee. Norwood said the State Board of Education is responsible for education of the children and making sure schools are financial ly solvent. "We have to be stew ards of the taxpayers' money," she said. She said of LIFT, "When you have a place that is $120,000 in debt (deficit), that's a pretty signif icant when (state) staff indicates to us they have not had open com munications from the school about finances." Philip Price, the director of school busiriess for the State Department of Public Instruc tion, said in an interview in late July that his staff expected that LIFT Academy's deficit for the 1998-99 school year will amount to more than $120,000, even though an audit had not been done for the 1998-99 school year. Earline Parmon said in late July that the state Charter School Advisory Committee was given erroneous information about the school's deficit. She also said the state department was reporting two different deficit figures, so, obviously, one of them was wrong. ' rdiiiiuu <umj qucbiiuiicu wny state officials believed that the school had a larger deficit in the 1998-99 school year than the 1997-98 school year when no audit has been done for the 1998 99 school year. Norwood said that last week Price told the state board that his office had received a phone call from a LIFT Academy official that the school's deficit had been reduced to $60,000. Norwood said she wants state officials to verify that. As for the criticism that some folks in Raleigh are against char ter schools because they take money away from public schools, Norwood said she doesn't think the State Board of Education is against charter schools. "Charter schools were created to give choic es, alternatives." "I do think we have to look carefully at charter schools," she said. If a regular public school had a deficit as large as LIFT Acade my has had, "we would have great problems," she said. . Earline Parmon said in an interview in late July - after the state Charter School Advisory Committee recommended that the . State Board of Education revoke LIFT Academy's charter - that LIFT Academy would appeal any decision to revoke its charter. Parmon is a Forsyth County commissioner. Gloria Upson, the chairman of the board of LIFT Academy, could not be reached for com ment, nor could the principal of the school. If LIFT Academy loses its charter, it would lose hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenues from state, local and federal gov ernments. 6 The Chronicle's e-mail address is: wschron@ netunlimited.net If you paid North Carolina intangibles taxes on stock , for one or more tax years 1990 through 1994: The State of North Carolina may owe you a payment. What You Can Do: A Fairness Hearing on settlement of Final judgments relating to these taxes is set for 10 a.m., September 24, 1999, 10th floor, Wake County Courthouse, Raleigh, North Carolina. If you wish to be heard at the Fairness Hfearing, you must notify the Court in writing on or before August 30, 1999, at: Smith/Shaver Hearing P.O. Box 366 Raleigh, NC 27602. Want to Know More? For detailed information, call 1-877-939-6648 (1-877-WE-WON-4-U). Download settlement documents and pleadings from the Internet at: www. smithshaver. wcsr. com or write to: Class Counsel, Smith/Shaver Class Action P.O. Box 1661 Raleigh, North Carolina 27602-1661 This the 23rd day of July 1999 \s\Howard E. Manning, Jr. Resident Judge Wake County, North Carolina, Superior Court ' P- * * ' ' . ? \ An interest rate that'll - , really pet vour attention. ' % ? 4." ?? ^ , Heads up, because right now, you can get a great low rate from GMAC Mortgage, the company that's backed by GMAC, America's leader in car financing for more than Local Offices 80 years. But call now, because today's low rate may be " : ~ ~ ~ ' gone tomorrow. Apply Over The Phone ? Fast Credit Decisions To apply for this great rate, call today. 1.877.755.GMAC (gV *A S 100.000 15-year loan request with 20% down at 6.875% (7.623% APR) with ? 3 points ($3,000) paid would result in 180 monthly payments of principal and interest of $891.85 per month. Taxes and insurance are extra. The 15-year fixed interest , of 6.875% (7.623% APR) is for a limited period of time and only applies to new applica- i lions received on or before 8/14/99 with loan closing and funding taking place by 10/2/99 Applicants must lock-in the advertised rate. Terms and conditions apply as well ' as loan fees and charges. Can for complete details Raleigh Greensboro Durham NOTICE MINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED FIRMS The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) is seeking minority and women-owned firms (M/WBE) to bid on upcoming highway projects throughout the State. The Locations of the projects are: i Is I I. <>? $ 3 3 - a 2 v * 0> oOO>o> o i. oc oz b \ ? ^_UJ 6.059001 B Dare 1 Grading. PavmgPVTMariungs A US-64/264fromUS-264loSR-l 105 in Mams Habor Mane 10% Structures & the intersection of NC 345. 8.1170807 Craven 2 Grading. Removal & Rehab. of John Lawson bridge over the Neuae River Metric 3% structure s near New Bern. 9.8043045 Halifax 4 Widening. Grading. Drainage. Paving. Old Farm Rd. Exit from NC-12S to South of Metric 10% 5% . PVT Markings & Structure US-158 in Roanoke Rapids 8.2290402 Edgecombe 4 Widening. Grading. Draining, Paving NC43 bypass fromNC43 to US-64 Metric 12% PVT. MRKS. A SIRS. altemae in Rocky Mour* , i ?? i 98052034 Wake 5 Grading Draining. Paving & SR-2036 (New Hooe Rd.) From Soudi of SR-2906 Metric 10% 5% '? . Pavement Markings (Willow Oak Rd.) To SR-2215 (Buffaioe) 8.1442401 Cumberland 6 Widening. Grading Drainage. SR-3828 (Bragg Blvd.) From South of Rankin St. to Metric 10% Resurfacing & PVT MKGS, South of NC-24.87 &210 (Rowan Street) U492304 Guilford 7 Grading, Drainage, Paving PVMT 1-85 (Greensboro Bypass) from South of Metric 10% Markings ^Structures Greensboro to West of SR-3300 (Elm Eugene). 8.2663001 Cabamus 10 Grading Drainage, Paving, PVT KaimapolisWfestside bypass bom South of Metric 12% Markings & Structures . SR-1555 (Grand Canyon Rd.) East of 1-85. 8.2731702 Caldwell 11 Grading Drainage, Paving A SR-1001 (Connelly Springs Rd) From SR-1933 Metric 10% Pavement Markings (South West Blvd.) To U>321A (Norwood) 82811601 Gaston 12 Grading Drainage, Paving-f PVT. SR-2200 (Cox Road) from South Metric 10% Markiiigs&Culverts of Duke Street to Armstrong Park r Drive 8.1841902 Henderson, 14 Widening Grading, Drainage, Paving US-25 from SR-1546 (Blake St.) in Henderson Co. Metric 10% Bamcombe 13 & PVMT Markings to North of SR-3531 (Crescent Dr.) < f:?' 82571301 Randolph 8 Grading Drainage. Paving & Structure Bndgc over Richland Creek & approaches English 10% * , ? on SR-2911 (Kemp Mill Road). 82801301 Cleveland 12 Grading Drainage. Paving. PVMT Bndge over Buffak* Creek English 10% Markings &Snucture & approaches on SR-1908 ? 8.2870801 McDowell 13 Grading Drainage. Paving & Culvert Culvert on Second Broad River 4 English 10% approaches on SR-1147 81404001 Wake 5 Resurfacing Gaurdnul & Pavement US-1/64 & 1440 from West of SR-1009 English 15% Makings interchange to East (4 SR-1728 (Wade Ave.) LETTING DATE.Tuesday, August 17, 1999 *** MONDAY, August 16,1999 6 PM - MIDNIGHT *** North Raleigh Hilton ? 3415 Wake Forest Road - Raleigh. N.C. Prime contractors will be available to receive quotes for trucking, sub-contracting and materials. M/WBE's needing more information and/or technical assistance may come to Room 522 to meet with representatives from the Bennington Corp., NCDOT's Supportive Provider. (919)832-6027 NCDOT Office of Civil Rights & Business Development 1*800*522-0453 Certification of highway contracting firms Richard Chrisawn HUrinla Certification of supply/service/engineering firms: Robert Mathes WU ' JpfXr Comments or concerns: Delano Rackard: Director
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Aug. 12, 1999, edition 1
12
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75