Parents, teachers and students urge Gaston County commissioners to fund schools fully

Dozens of parents, teachers and students used the public-comment period at the Gaston County Board of Commissioners meeting to press the commission for significantly higher local support for Gaston County Schools.

"We spend about twice as much on public safety as we do on classroom operations," said Britney Elkin, one of the earliest speakers, and urged commissioners to prioritize prevention through education rather than reaction. Multiple speakers described classroom impacts they said resulted from underfunding: librarians, counselors, nurses and arts teachers cut, and hundreds of positions on the chopping block.

Several parents cited specific numbers. Stephanie Hartman asked the board to fund the school system at the superintendent’s full request, saying "Fund Gaston County Schools at the full $68,000,000 outlined in the superintendent's original budget." Dr. Anna Renfro told commissioners a $7,200,000 shortfall tied to property valuation changes contributed to school funding gaps and urged the board to supplement that figure.

Teachers and school staff described effects in day-to-day instruction. Noah Hartley, a visual-arts teacher, said the district would eliminate more than 170 positions and noted the loss of arts and counseling staff at individual schools. A third-grade student, Jack Tracy, told the commissioners, "They're in a deep hole and we need to put a ladder in so they can get out," describing crowded classrooms and teachers paying for supplies.

Speakers repeatedly acknowledged state-level budget pressures but argued local choices matter. "Other counties have school debt too, but they do not use it as an excuse to underfund classroom operations," Britney Elkin said, arguing Gaston County’s lower per-pupil local investment is a matter of priorities. Several urged the board to work collaboratively with city leaders and the school board to craft a local solution.

Chair Chad Brown and commissioners heard the public testimony ahead of later budget deliberations and a scheduled May 12 public hearing on the FY27 budget. Commissioners asked County Manager Matt Roden to provide options — including combinations of cuts and revenue changes — to consider whether additional local funding could be found.

The meeting record shows consistent community pressure to raise local school support; the board did not adopt new school appropriations at the April 28 meeting, but commissioners requested further budget options that will be discussed before a May adoption vote.