Roanoke Rapids Graded School District Board of Education Chairman Jay Carlilse announced the proposition to commissioners during a public hearing commissioners held this evening to garner comments on the proposal to change the sales tax distribution method from ad valorem to per capita.

Commissioner Patrick Qualls said following the hearing a plan ironed out by the three school systems — Halifax County, Roanoke Rapids and Weldon — could free up slightly more than $108,000 to be distributed toward education.

(Commissioners, who tabled the issue this evening, will take up the matter again at their Monday, April 18, meeting, which will be held in the commissioners room at the Historic Courthouse in Halifax at 5:30 p.m. For a related story, follow this link)

A deal worked out between the three school systems would also eliminate the need for tax rate adjustments in the county's fire tax districts and the Our Community Hospital tax district in Scotland Neck.

“Our boards are open to looking at ways that sales tax revenues can be reallocated through a fair distribution to school districts through the county government,” Carlilse told commissioners. “We had a productive meeting earlier today and recommend these conversations continue in collaboration with the commissioners so a proposal can be achieved that allows all parties to realize a reasonable compromise, and so all of our students might be positively influenced.”

Hugh Credle, chair of the Weldon City Schools Board of Education, said, “It's the children we're looking at. We're looking at how our children can benefit.”

Debbie Hardy, chair of the Halifax County Board of Education, told commissioners the school board backs a plan that would lead to its system sharing in the tax distribution.

Roanoke Rapids Interim School Superintendent John Parker stands with representatives from Halifax and Weldon.

While commissioners officially tabled the matter, Qualls said it was a bold action by the three school systems to come together.

“Having this hearing was a wonderful idea,” Commissioner Carolyn Johnson said. “As far as education, we're always concerned about the children. Our children are just not competing against each other, our children are in a global society now.”

Johnson said she was pleased to see something happen between the three school systems and for them to come together.

Commissioner Marcelle Smith, who stated last week he supported the change, said, “The collaboration between the school systems is a very big step. I don't want it to stop here.”

Commissioner Rives Manning asked the three school systems to come back with a concrete proposal and would like to see it presented to the area's legislative representatives.

The Reverend C.E. McCollum of the Roanoke Valley Southern Christian Leadership Conference, who has been pushing for the change in the sales tax distribution method, said afterward, he believes the talks between the three school systems is “a good thing. I'm sure it could be worked out.”

Qualls said afterward it is not immediately clear how much the county school system, which does not have taxing authority like Roanoke Rapids and Weldon, would get if the proposal could be worked out. It is also not immediately clear what the proposal would mean for average daily membership dollars.

“It's the right thing to do,” Carlilse said afterward. “Some money is better than no money.”