Kelly Becomes Spokesman on LCHS Rennovations

New Findings, Political Fallout Signal Progress on Issue

With a preliminary report in hand from the Health Department received last Friday reporting, which the Sanford Herald summarized as follows:

According to a preliminary report, released Friday by the Lee County Health Department, the library, administration, foreign language, art annex and band art buildings showed “significant” issues, most related to water leaks and resulting mold or mildew. No major problems were found in the math building or five mobile units. There are seven buildings on cam­pus yet to be reviewed.

The report said recent rains (before this weekend's storm) allowed them to identify leaks in the buildings. There was a lot more to be learned from the report than what most parents of LCHS students have been trying to tell the commissioners for months.

Jamie Kelly Steps Up

Commissioner Jamie stepped forward to handle what has become a political nightmare for local democrats. With Ray Martin on record as saying the way he handled the issue of mold was "to look for it" and the Health Department's reporting of water leaks, the much criticized "Health and Security Study" for which the commissioners authorized $20,000 was fully discredited. Even Democrat candidates were already calling the report worthless. (See column posted here.) Finally, the light bulb went on. Ever since Robert Reives responded to the building needs of Lee County High School with the statement: "Now you people know how we felt about W.B. Wicker. " (emphasis added) and later ordered a commitment to fund the Hite plan pulled from a resolution on the use of the sales tax, the public perception has been growing that the commissioners where more interested in criticizing the Board of Education than fixing the problems at LCHS. Relations between the two boards have been strained, and commissioners had believed that voters would take their frustrations out on Board of Education Chair Bill Tatum. Instead, Tatum is back as chairman of the commission, and Commission Chairman Bob Brown was defeated in the primary. While Kelly's declaration that "he sup­ports renovation of every building on campus, rather than rebuilding the entire campus," falls short of the full goals of the Hite Report, his statement, along with current interim plans for the high school by the Board of Education, shows a significant narrowing of the gap between the commissioners and the board of education. Editor's note: (The next post will include the Board of Education reaction, current plans for the buildings, and its role in seeking of the study that led to the headlines.) Jamie Kelly's handling of the issue with the media and declaration of support for the renovations is, in itself, noteworthy. Not only does it take the focus off the failed report prepared by Martin, it also shows that he has begun to exert leadership on what has become a significant political issue. While Kelly will not officially confirm it, he wants to replace Bob Brown as board chairman and needs to elect at least 2 democrats to get the four votes he would need. Many in democrat circles expect that this is preliminary to a race for the District 51 House seat now held by Representative Jimmy Love who is not expected to run in 2010. Kelly's appearance on the scene may be to counter voter frustration with the current board of commissioners. ( In fairness to Kelly, he was also a major player in the Fair Tax Committee, the commissioner's last minute effort to secure passage of the sales tax.) The handling of the LCHS issue has frustrated many voters with the commissioners failing to address the Hite Report for more than 18 months but the handling of the issue has generally been by Finance Committee Chair Reives. Reives refused for months to meet with the Board of Education's Finance Committee during the preparation of the budget. Most initiatives for joint meeting have come from the school board. After pelting the school board for budget requests in different formats, the board abandoned the budgeting by purpose and line item sought by Commissioner Linda Shook. The similar indecision and floundering with enforcement of the county ban on smoking being enforced in the courthouse has only reinforced the perception of the current board as dysfunctional and under the control of Commissioner Robert Reives. The presence of Herb Hincks and other renovation sympathetic Republicans on the ballot gives voters the chance to return the reins of the commission to a leader who involved the community in a bi-partisan effort that lead to construction of Southern Lee High School and SanLee Middle School following failure of bond referendums. By stepping up now, Kelly not only shifts the debate but demonstrates a clearer commitment to LCHS on the part of a potential chair of the commissioners.

Jamie Kelly's Challenge

If Kelly's comments are designed to signal a new direction for the commission, Jamie Kelly faces two immediate challenges. One is to turn down the traditional rhetoric blaming the board of education for the condition of the nearly 60 year old school. It is, after all, the board of commissioners that provides the funds for maintenance, too. The largest challenge is to explain how he would propose to finance the renovation of the remaining buildings, indicate a schedule on which these renovations would take place, and relate them to the instructional objectives listed in the Hite Report. Involving the board of education would seem essential to completing this task. With less than 60 days to the election, backing up his words after two years on the commission is going to prove quite a challenge. But it is a challenge, if he meets, could go a long way toward saving his political plans.