The Roanoke Valley Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors formally supports the findings in a 2012 report on the operations of schools in Halifax County.
The Evergreen Solutions Operational Improvements in Halifax School Districts report, paid for by the county board of commissioners, came up with numerous recommendations and the conclusion that school merger would not benefit Halifax County as a whole or its taxpayers.
Chamber President and CEO Allen Purser, in a memo to chamber members, wrote the action Thursday came after the board of directors received a letter from Roanoke Rapids Graded School District Superintendent Dennis Sawyer requesting the board take a formal position to support the autonomy of the city school system and keeping it a community-based system. “In essence, we formally request the Chamber oppose the consolidation/merger of any of the public school districts in Halifax County as this will have many detrimental effects on our local economy, community and potentially the quality of education for our students,” a portion of the letter from Sawyer said.
The chamber board, after long discussion and a split vote, passed the motion supporting the Evergreen Solutions report.
The vote, Purser said, merely means the board supports the findings listed in the study. “The report said there would be serious tax implications with merger.”