Strain on Schools May Snag Business Growth After All

According the Sanford Herald's headline for its story on BRAC impact's boost biz, put a strain on schools". (Learn about BRAC).

According to BRAC Regional Task Force Executive Director Paul Dordal, Lee County could have 1,600 new residents by 2013 directly resulting from the military’s planned expansion of Fort Bragg. The real question, however, is how well will the county capitalize on the expected influx of high paying jobs. Sanford alone, he said, could see an influx of 1,000 to 3,000 high-paying jobs if the proper measures are taken to coax contractors and other support businesses to the area. “Lee County is ideally situ­ated between the Triangle and Fort Bragg to bring in not only new residents, but business,” Dordal said.“But it is some­thing we have to work on.”

And what did he say we needed to work on most? Schools, specifically planning for the capital investment in schools. Oddly enough, as reported previously, planning for capital improvement is the one thing that the Lee County Commissioners does not want to discuss with the Lee County Board of Education at their upcoming meeting. See the update on this meeting.

So, to borrow a phrase from Ross Perot, the faint sucking sound is the potential BRAC-induced jobs slowing being sucked out of the county by the deadlock between the Commissioners and the Board of Education.