ROBESON, NC (WBTW) – The Robeson County Board of Commissioners met with the Robeson County School District on Monday to discuss plans for a new central office.
The School District’s office was destroyed after Hurricane Matthew last year. The district is office is currently temporarily housed in the Angel Exchange building.
Bobbie Ghaffer owns that building and on Monday night offered to sell the district the Angel Exchange building for $6.3 million as opposed to buying land to build a new office that would cost the county $25 million.
“I think we’re a much better option for tax payer dollars,” said Ghaffer.
Ghaffer said her business would move out of the building which would give the district more space.
“With their transportation, their maintenance, they would have to do some additional construction,” she said. “But my building comes with 29 acres and they own 35 acres that was purchased by the county for them a couple years ago that’s right beside my property.”
The Robeson County School Board asked the Robeson County Board of Commissioners about the option of purchasing land to build a new district office that would cost $25 million dollars and an additional $30 million to fix schools.
The land the School Board wants to buy 48 acres of land located on N.C. 711.
Robeson County School Board Chairman, Peggy Wilkins Chavis, said both boards were able to have a healthy discussion during the one hour closed session. She said the School Board is looking into all of the options presented.
“We need money because of our loss,” said Chavis. “We need money and funds to help us to try and get back normal. We will never be back the same.”
Chavis did not say when a decision will be made on the funding for the new district office, but she did say the board is waiting to see how much money it will receive from FEMA to know how much it will receive from the county. Chavis said her top priority is always the children,
“First of all we need a home for central office for our workers, next we need a place for our children,” The School Board Chair said, “That will come before a lot of the other buildings, but we’ve got to get the most needed things done first.”
