Alleghany County School asks board to waive $1,600 monthly commercial waste charge after sudden invoice spike

Sid Carrier, representing Alleghany County Schools, told the board that a recent garbage invoice for school facilities rose dramatically — from about $960 in prior months to $4,435 in a single billing cycle. Carrier said the change included a newly applied $1,600 commercial weight fee that the district had not budgeted for and that the charge is applied to the schools’ commercial waste accounts used by cafeterias.

"That is definitely not in our budget whatsoever," Carrier said, noting that the district maintains 15 dumpsters across multiple school facilities and had identified three dumpsters it could eliminate to save roughly $500 per month but still faces the $1,600 monthly commercial fee if it remains in place. Carrier said waiving the $1,600 commercial weight fee would save the school $19,200 annually.

Board members and staff confirmed the district received written notice with the invoice and discussed moving the matter from an informational item to a formal action item for the March meeting. The board agreed to place the request on the March agenda for further consideration and potential action.