By Roderick McClain
09-29-10 – At last night's New Hanover County Board of Education Forum, all candidates agreed low graduation rates are cause for alarm, but not everyone agreed on a solution.
Most candidates agree early education, starting with pre-kindergarten, is the best way to bolster graduation rates in New Hanover County. But from there, answers differ. Here's what current school board chair Edward Higgins has to say.
"We've got to have the funding to be able to reach those two and three year olds. We get them when they're four years old, but they're all ready behind by the time they get there."
Opposing candidate Philip Stine says additional funding isn't the answer.
"The overall funding for New Hanover County Schools is above state average, we're second, per student, only to Durham. Yet we rank 83rd out of 115 local education agencies in four year graduation rates. Looking deeper, the results for our black students, we are actually 97th, and for our economically disadvantaged students we rank 109th.
Eight candidates, half Democrats, half Republicans, are vying for four vacant seats. Early voting in New Hanover County begins October 14th.