DREAM big So close The DREAM Center Harley Potter was celebrates 25 years. one pin short of a uuSEE PAGE 11A perfect game. uuSEE SPORTS, PAGE 1B The News Reporter Published since 1890 every Monday and Thursday for the County of Columbus and her people. WWW.NRCOLUMBUS.COM Thursday, February 2, 2017 75 CENTS Merger would cost more than $5 million, city system says By Nicole Cartrette
[email protected] Part I of a series Merging Columbus County and Whiteville City Schools would save the state and federal government money but not necessarily the county, according to Whiteville City Schools officials. A merger would cost the county more than $5 million in lost funding, Whiteville City Schools Superintendent Kenny Garland suggests. “There are many folks who believe that merger is a cost- saving measure, but based upon county, state and federal fund- ing, I strongly believe there will be significant funding coming into Columbus County,” Garland said. “The emphasis needs to be on our school infrastructure, not school merger. Whether or not we are one system or two, we still need facilities.” Both districts have presented multi-million dollar school con- struction proposals to the county, but no action has been taken Staff photo by Les High on those plans. The city system is seeking a new Whiteville High School and the Columbus County system wants to consolidate White Marsh-Welches Creek firefighter Wayne Parker trains a hose on a roaring blaze that destroyed a house east of several schools into new facilities. Whiteville Tuesday afternoon. Several firefighters were slightly injured when the ceiling collapsed on them.