Chapel Hill Herald article re CHS Arts Wing

[Susana Dancy]

This appeared in today's paper:


Carrboro High set to get its arts wing

By Gregory Childress : The Herald-Sun
gchil...@heraldsun.com
Jul 21, 2009

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Chapel Hill -- When Carrboro High School was being planned a few years
ago, escalating construction costs forced school officials to lop off
a proposed arts wing.

But now, the deleted wing is set to be added to the 2-year-old school,
thanks to an infusion of interest-free money made available as a
result of the federal stimulus package.

On Thursday, the school board will be asked to sign off on the
Qualified School Construction Bonds (QSCB) application that would
allow the district to borrow up to $1.9 million in interest-free money
this year for construction of the new $4.5 million wing.

As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the
U.S. Treasury Department has authorized the issuance of $275.7 million
in such construction bonds for 2009.

"I consider it very likely that we will approve this," said school
board Chairwoman Lisa Stuckey. "School board members have expressed
support for this project over the last several months."

Construction on the new wing would begin in the winter and would be
completed within 18 months.

The interest-free bonds must be used for the construction or repair of
a public school, or for land acquisition for such a facility. School
districts that borrow the money have up to 12 years to repay the
principal amount under current market conditions.

School officials also hope a second issuance of bonds in 2010 will
enable the district to borrow enough money for virtually the entire
wing.

"We're anticipating having another $2 million next year in interest-
free bonds that we can borrow," said Todd LoFrese, assistant
superintendent of support services.

The news that money has been found to build the arts wing sooner
rather than later will no doubt put smiles on the faces of students,
parents and educators at Carrboro High, who have been challenged to
find adequate space to conduct band, chorus and drama classes.

In addition, the new wing will provide valuable classroom space for
arts education and an auditorium for school plays and assemblies.

"It's no less necessary than a cafeteria, gymnasium or library in
providing a full education for these students," said Susana Dancy, a
Carrboro High parent who is seeking a seat on the school board.

Dancy said the school board and Orange County Commissioners deserve
credit for moving the arts wing up the list of construction
priorities.

"I think it's fabulous that the school board and county commissioners
stepped up to provide the funding for this," Dancy said. "I want to
applaud them for stepping up to do this and seeing the need."