The Moore County Board of Education isn’t yet ready to call a referendum on a supplemental school tax for technology, Chairman Ken Baer said Tuesday.

The board wants to make certain that it has the best plan before going ahead, he said.

Baer, responding to a recent critical letter from Moore County Board of Commissioners Chairman Michael Holden, also said the school board would not be trying to “dodge voters” if it requested a date other than November for a referendum.

Money from the tax would fund the school system’s technology needs.

In a July 20 letter to Holden, Baer wrote that the school board is waiting for a report from a community technology committee before formally submitting a request to the commissioners to call a referendum.

Holden wrote Baer on July 11, pressing him and the school board to call for the referendum this November, when there would be a large voter turnout.

“At this time, it is premature to say how much money will be needed for the technology plan or when we will be ready to submit the proposal to you,” Baer wrote in his letter to Holden. “There is still work to be completed, not only on developing the technology plan but also developing alternative sources of funding.”

The Board of Education voted in June to seek a referendum on a supplemental school tax to pay for technology.

At the time, board members hoped it could be done in November.

The board appointed a panel of community and business leaders to analyze a four-year, $17 million plan done by school administrators.

Baer told The Pilot Tuesday that depending on what the committee recommends, the cost could be less than that in the in-house plan.

“We may be able to reduce some of our estimated costs (for the technology plan), but until we know exactly what we’re going to do and have an opportunity to reduce the costs, we’re not going to call for a referendum.”

The committee is expected to meet though the middle of August. It could be later in the fall before the school board is ready to formally request a referendum, making it unlikely that it could be on the ballot in November.

Holden had written in his letter to Baer: “It goes without saying that you do not want to appear to be dodging the voters by trying to come up with a time for the election when there will be a small turnout at the polls. Likewise, I am sure you want to get this issue resolved before you leave office.”

‘Quit Playing Games’

Baer, who is not seeking re-election this year, urged Holden in his letter to quit playing political games over the issue.

Baer wrote that Holden is addressing the school system’s technological needs “in a political manner because that is what you understand. But be aware that I do not view education and technology for education as a game of politics.”

Wayne Peterson, co-chairman of the technology committee, said Tuesday that committee members have “zero concern about politics or past feelings that have been expressed.”

Peterson, a retired phone company executive, added: “We want to come up with a plan that can be explained to the public and a plan that will ensure kids are getting the grounding from the Moore County Schools that they need to participate in the new world that’s been created when they graduate.”

Baer’s letter of July 20 said the technology committee is devoting “significant time and expertise to assure the development of a plan that defines the correct technological needs for our educational processes and intensely reviews different methods of funding these technological requirements.

“This group is involved because they know that public education is one of the most important issues in our county and they know that technology is an important expenditure that must be carefully developed to assure that the monies spent achieve the highest impact

“It would be a disservice to everyone involved to present a referendum to the county commissioners before we address all issues.”

Baer also said better communications are needed between the two chairmen and the elected boards. Baer was on vacation the week Holden wrote his letter to him and found out about it first in The Pilot.

“It is not a positive that the newspaper received the letter before I did,” he said.

Baer also said he detected some enthusiasm for technology and that he chose to take Holden’s letter as support for calling a referendum because Holden was eager to place the matter before the voters.

Baer said Holden has never contacted him on any subject of concern in the past.

He invited Holden or any other commissioner to serve on the committee. He said such an invitation had been made on more than one occasion in the past, but the school board never received a response.

In a telephone interview Tuesday, Holden said that he didn’t think it was “appropriate” for a commissioner to serve on a committee under the control of the school board. He said he would distribute Baer’s letter, along with the invitation to his fellow commissioners to serve on the technology committee if they choose.

Baer responded that members of the technology committee “are not under our control.”

As for his support of a referendum, Holden told The Pilot that he would not campaign against any supplemental tax. But he said that he would get the word out that he felt the county was providing adequate funding for the public schools already.

“This is not about technology, this is about spending money,” Holden said.

Baer said he took that as a sign of opposition from Holden.

‘Can’t Have It Both Ways’

Holden said he was uncertain of the validity of different needs raised by the school board and its supporters, citing conflicting reports about computers in the classroom. He also expressed resentment over the way some members of the public portray the commissioners as “hurting” children if they do not fully fund the school budget request each year.

Holden said he felt that the school board’s job is to set educational policy and that the commissioners find the resources.

“He can’t have it both ways,” Baer said. “He can either get in or get out.”

Holden gave another reason he would like to see a referendum held in November: He doesn’t think it would be fair to bring in new school board members after the election in November to deal with a technology effort by a group of “lame ducks.”