Legislators hear of Durham's needs

Basnight, others meet local leaders

DURHAM -- City, county and Durham Public Schools officials got little but the promise of more meetings out of their sit-down with state Senate leader Marc Basnight and other legislators Tuesday.

Of course, the point of the rare "Town Hall" meeting was only to put issues on the table, not get firm commitments.

Basnight, a Dare County Democrat, expressed willingness to work with local leaders on new programs to reduce the dropout rate and develop better strategies for future droughts.

He shot down a city plea for the state to help pay for Durham's planned Minor League Baseball museum and "fan experience" facility.

"Getting to this point in time for monies for projects such as this are just difficult," he said.

Basnight said he was eager to help the Durham Public Schools fund two programs to reduce the dropout rate. Only 66 percent of Durham County high school students who start ninth grade graduate.

Local officials want to expand two programs, one that provides academic support and career counseling/training for middle school students and another that would allow struggling high school students to take classes in the evenings.

School officials estimate the middle school "Citizen Schools" would cost $250,000 per year at each of the three schools where the program would be implemented: Chewning, Neal and Lowe's Grove.

The "Evening Academies" would cost $350,000 per site.

Basnight also said he would try to compel state agencies to speed up work on using treated wastewater for nonpotable uses such as irrigation. The state has lagged behind other states such as California on that matter, he said.

"We're here today to listen and see what we can do to help this community," said Sen. Floyd McKissick, a Durham Democrat who helped broker the meeting.

"We'd give you the key to the city," Durham Mayor Pro Tem Cora Cole-McFadden said to Basnight, "but we'll have to wait to see what you do with our requests."