Dear North Carolina State Board of Education and State Superintendent: 

ABE is an advocacy group dedicated to improving the Public Schools of Robeson County (PSRC). We are deeply concerned about the financial and administrative condition of the Public Schools of Robeson County.  

During a meeting of the school board on Tuesday, May 14, 2019, a board member said the school district is “broke” and that the superintendent is facing legal matters requiring additional legal representation. The board members appeared to have limited information about the budget or these legal needs.

The board has conceded that there is a significant budget deficit and will need a budget request extension from the Robeson County Commissioners in order to make decisions about staffing and resources. The administration has recommended cuts to programs and services in order to balance its mismanaged budget. This information has created chaos among PSRC staff and parents. 

Fiscal and administrative mismanagement will substantially impair the delivery of a sound basic education by impacting the staff, programs, and services necessary for our students to achieve State-mandated academic standards. Without prompt action, essential teachers, staff and educational programs may be lost, and the district's academic performance will decline.

We ask the State to take all necessary and appropriate action to immediately address any mismanagement of PSRC resources which will cause direct harm to our schools and students. Failure to remedy the management of PSRC will cause direct harm to our schools and students. We request investigation and corrective action in the following areas of concern:

1.      Fiscal Management

2.      Personnel Policies

3.      Code of Conduct Ethics

4.      Systematic Dysfunction