Harren Eecflrii
V
Volume 90 25c Per Copy Warrenton, County Of Warren, North Carolina Wednesday, September 23,1987 Number 37
Public Housing
Concept Comes
Under Discussion
By THURLETTA M. BROWN
News Editor
Although no citizens presented
themselves for comment at last
Wednesday night's public hear
ing on the establishment of a
Public Housing Authority or
Redevelopment Commission for
Warren County, the board of
county commissioners devoted
the scheduled 15 minutes to
discussion of the proposal.
"It's just another handout,"
Commissioner William Skinner
said.
The Rev. Donald J. Wess, pas
tor of Coley Springs Baptist
Church who was present for
another matter, challenged that
evaluation, noting that Rocky
Mount had an excellent plan for
housing. The Rocky Mount project
has utilized the former R. N.
Wilson Elementary School build
ing as housing for senior citizens.
"I take issue with the thought
that this would be just another
handout or welfare," he coun
tered, "and that is not the case.
We need housing, and I would
think our county would explore
every avenue."
Chairman Eva Clayton con
firmed that the benefits to be
gained were indeed a form of
assistance, but noted the worth of
such a venture. "Income levels
are so low in Warren County,"
she noted. "Unless projects are
structured with federal monies or
subsidies, there will be large
numbers of persons in substand
ard housing," she surmised.
"Cost is a question?Warren
County can't afford to provide
it."
Commissioner George Shearin
noted the dire need in the county
for public housing. "It is hard to
believe, but a number of our resi
dents live on only $4,000 per
year."
Community Development Di
rector Reedy Carter reported
that statistics he had received in
dicated that Warren County
ranked second in the state in
overcrowding, citing statistics
which estimated 8.9 persons to
one room. "We are also number
two in the ranking when it comes
to plumbing," he reported.
Children Going
To Fair Early
Warren County school children
will be dismissed today (Wednes
day) at 1 p.m. by action taken
last Thursday night by the boan
of education.
The request, made by the War
renton Lion's Club, was unani
mously approved following dis
cussion of policy, the history of
such dismissals, and the potential
for academic enrichment from
the agricultural fair experience.
Superintendent Mike Williams
reminded the board that the State
Department of Public Instruction
stipulated that each school day
was to contain 5.5 hours of
academic instruction. He also
reminded the board that permis
sion for early dismissal had been
denied last year.
Board member Richard Roddy
noted the potential for academic
enrichment existed for those
students who viewed the agri
cultural exhibits.
Board member Yarborough
Williams agreed, noting that the
event was a county-sponsored
one and that the hoard was
"obliged to support the
community."
Comments from students this
week revealed their surprise at
the decision, but all seemed gen
uinely pleased with the oppor
tunity to go to the fair.
Carter explained that a Public
Housing Authority would lease
housing, serve as a conduit for
federal funds, and issue Section
9 certificates that would allow
renters to get subsidies. "Renters
typically pay 15-30 percent of
their gross incomes," he said,
"and the rest comes from Section
8."
Chairman Clayton noted that
the Redevelopment Commission
option was not as adaptable for
Warren's situation, stating the
commission was more appro
priate for urban areas with active
acquisition and demolition. "The
Public Housing Authority would
be a separate (from the board)
organization" she said. "With
that structure in place, the Public
Housing Authority board could
seek federal funds to fund
housing."
The Department of Housing
and Urban Development (HUD)
requires that a minimum of 25
residents of a county file a peti
tion with the clerk of the board of
county commissioners to demon
strate their belief that a public
housing authority is needed.
Carter produced for commis
sioners a petition containing the
signatures of 26 or 27 Warren
County residents.
If the need is determined by
Warren County commissioners, a
resolution will be adopted, a
board will be appointed and an
application will be submitted to
the Secretary of State to receive
incorporation. Once the proposed
housing authority has been incor
porated, other forms and applica
tions are filed with HUD to re
quest funding. "The process is
quite involved," Chairman
Clayton noted.
"Hopefully something good will
come out of this," commissioner
Shearin said.
In other business, the board:
?Endorsed procedures for
selecting board of health
members, and appointed the
Rev. Donald J. Wess to the board
of health, for a term expiring in
January, 1989.
-Re-appointed Dr. Cosmos N.
George, Mrs. Linda Blackburn,
Mrs. Ann Copley and Mrs. Amy
Norwood to the board of health
for terms expiring January, 1990.
Appointed Mrs. Vilma Catling
to the Kerr-Tar Private Industry
Council.
Appointed to the Domiciliary
Home Community Advisory
Council, pending their accept
ance, Mrs. Mary D. Williams,
Mrs. Julia Fitz and Mrs. Nannie
Spruill. Mrs. Geneva Fitz was
named as an alternate.
?Appropriated $50 to Caswell
Center of Kinston for its annual
Operation Santa Claus program.
Record Reached
The price of tobacco in Warren
ton has reached a new record for
the year, with tobacco selling for
$1.69 per pound last Wednesday.
According to Mrs. Alice R.
Robertson, sales supervisor, this
is the "best average yet for this
year."
Last Wednesday, 3,041,954
pounds of tobacco were sold,
amounting to $579,147.02 in sales,
with only two percent going to
Stabilization stocks. The high
average per pound was an im
provement from last week's
average $1.67 per pound.
At the Warrenton Tobacco
Market, 2,691,302 pounds of
tobacco have been sold so far this
year, bringing in $4,037,586.14.
The average price per pound for
this year is $1.50, with five per
cent going into Stabilization.
Sales are scheduled to continue
next week on Monday and
Wednesday.
Fall made its appearance this week in Warren County, bringing
with it a slight nip in the morning air and a few scattered leaves?
with the promise of more of both to come. The camera was able to
capture the serenity of the clouds which hovered over this field be
tween Littleton and Vaughan, thanks to the watchful eye of the
photographer and her desire to preserve the beauty of this scene for
all to share. (Staff Photo by Dianne T. Rod well)
Superintendent Tells Board
Assembly Generous To Warren
By THLRLETTA M. BROWN
News Editor
The Warren County Board of
Education reconvened last
Thursday night to continue the
work remaining following ad
journment after 11 p.m. last Mon
day night.
Matters of federal funding, stu
dent performance and personnel
were discussed by members of
the board, who were able to end
their meeting at an hour some
thirty minutes earlier than the
one which had preceded earlier in
the week.
Superintendent Mike Williams
reported that education had got
ten more funds from the General
Assembly than he had ever
remembered being appropriated
in past years.
These allocations mean a great
deal to small, less affluent coun
ties that do not have the re
sources to provide all that is
needed for their schools.
Educational officials have
ranked Warren County 64th of the
state's 100 counties in dollars
spent per child for academic pur
poses. Although about 22 percent
of the county's total budget is
spent on education, the $1,247
spent per Warren County child
compares poorly with the
amounts spent by the more af
fluent counties in the state.
The Basic Education Plan
(BEP) was implemented in 1983
by the General Assembly to pro
vide for an adequate, standard
ized, minimum educational pro
gram for all children in the state.
According to Superintendent Wil
liams. the BEP has helped to
reduce class size, provide addi
tional teachers for grades K-12,
provide services for exceptional
children, increase the resources
available for vocational educa
tion and provide for instructional
supplies.
Eight new positions have been
funded: two assistant principals,
one upper level Spanish teacher,
two teachers for exceptional
children, two elementary school
music teachers and one middle
school music teacher.
BEP will also permit the ex
pansion of summer school pro
gramming. Last summer, 145
students in grades one through
four, six and eight attended sum
mer school here. Of those, 110
who were not promoted at the end
of the regular school year were
deemed ready to advance to the
next grade at the close of the
summer session. According to
Williams, BEP may permit ex
pansion to areas other than
remediation, such as band camps
or computer camps. Next sum
mer, the program will expand to
include grades one through 11.
The superintendent also noted
that non-BEP items funded by
the General Assembly included
texts for exceptional children,
funds for student information
management systems?about
$17,000 in computer equipment,
and a $250 stipend to teachers
completing the Effective Teacher
Training program.
Certain "special provisions"
now have the full impact of law,
he noted, among them the ban of
standard norm-referenced tests
in grades one and two, in favor of
criterion-referenced tests. Cri
terion-referenced tests measure
performance of a given task,
while norm-referenced tests
measure performance againsi
the "yardstick" of norms
established by statistical
reference groups of students.
Other special provisions in
clude: the use of vocational funds
below the middle school level, if
grade six is included; instruction
in CPR and Heimlich maneuver
technique for staff; and the
elimination of the $250 stipend for
first-time teachers, who complete
the Effective Teacher Training
program.
The superintendent listed for
the board the bills which had
been ratified by the General
Assembly that would affect
educational policy and practice:
(1) S.B. 184 requires that drop
outs be referred to the appro
priate services, for example com
munity colleges or technical in
stitutes; (2) S.B. 573 mandates
that student bus drivers be at
least 17 years of age by Oct. 1; (3)
H.B. 200 deals with the confiden
tiality of personnel files of school
employees; (4) H.B. 231 adopts
policies regarding the use of cor
poral punishment in the schools;
(5) H.S. 458 requires public
schools to report to local health
directors any communicable dis
eases; (6) H.S. 960 prohibits
misuse of confidential informa
tion; (7) H.B. 1011 eliminates
central payrolls; and (8) H.B.
1019 limits activity buses to 55
miles per hour.
Williams noted that "the jury 1
was still out on the matter of age
of student bus drivers," but
reported the state was confident.
"We'll just have to wait and see,"
he said. He also noted that the
board would need to develop
more detailed policies with
regard to contents and accessi
bility of employee personnel files.
"The General Assembly's ac
tions will foster a different rela
tionship between boards of edu
cation and county commission
ers," the superintendent said.
"The Critical Needs Fund will not
meet all our needs, but we are
very encouraged." New guide
lines mandate that counties ap
ply by specific project, with a
joint application submitted by
both boards.
The issue of student perfor
mance was also addressed fol
lowing the superintendent's
report on end-of-course tests in
algebra I, algebra II and biology
conducted last spring.
In algebra I, five forms of a
95-question test were adminis
tered to 21 John Graham stu
dents, six Norlina Middle School
students and 126 Warren County
High School students. Sixty ques
tions, identical on all five forms,
comprised the "core" of the test.
Thirty-five questions varied in
each of the five forms, resulting
in 175 question-options. A total of
235 questions were active in the
tests administered.
In testing sites across the state,
students answered 39.2 of the 60
"core" questions correctly. At
WCHS, the 126 students taking
the test answered 36.6 correctly.
The 21 John Graham students
answered 36.3 correctly and the
six Norlina Middle school stu
dents answered 46.0 questions
correctly.
Superintendent Williams noted
that the sample size at Norlina
was so small that test results
should be interpreted with cau
tion. Statisticians have found that
extremely small sample sizes
have questionable statistical
significance since one or more
high scores can skew the re
ported mean for the test. Accor
ding to the superintendent, the
Norlina group could have been
comprised of a more select group
of students.
Students across the state tak
ing the algebra I test answered
144.8 of the 235 variable-plus-core
quesions correctly. For WCHS,
the average number correct was
135.7. For John Graham, the
average correct was 127.6, and
for Norlina, 173.
The algebra II test was admin
istered to 32 ninth- and tenth
graders at WCHS. The variable
question-format was not a part of
the algebra II test; only 56 ques
tions, identical on all tests, were
asked. For North Carolina stu
dents taking the test, 37.7 of the
questions were answered correct
ly. At Warren County High, 32.9
was the average score.
The biology test involved five
forms of a 100-question test.
Sixty-six questions formed the
"core," that portion of the test
that was identical in all test
rooms; and 34 ( 34 x 5) questions
varied by classroom, for a total
of 236 variable-plus-core question
options. These items were ad
ministered to 212 students at
Warren County High School.
Across the state, students
answered correctly 30 of the 66
"core" questions. At WCHS, 34.2
was the average number correct.
North Carolina students ans
wered 137.2 of the variable-plus
core questions correctly. At
WCHS, 121 was the average
number of correct responses.
Board member Yarborough
Williams questioned why only six
students at Norlina had taken the
test.
The superintendent noted that
algebra I was not a requirement,
but represented acceleration by
a few students. "By providing
algebra in grade eight," he said,
"an additional year of math could
be made available to students."
The superintendent noted that
there was a danger in putting
students into the advanced
course before they were ready.
Board member Richard Roddy
noted that 27 students (21 John
Graham and 6 Norlina) trans
lated into a group of "better than
10 percent" who were ahead of
themselves. "You don't get too
many more than 10 percent in the
above average category on the
bell curve," he said.
A bell curve is a statistical
concept that demonstrates per
formance. Most scores tend to
cluster in the middle; only a
small percentage tend to score on
the upper and lower ends of the
scale.
Williams queried whether the
board was satisfied with only 10
percent being able to achieve "a
little bit above average."