College Has Big Stake In Fall’s Referendum

Sandhills Community College stands to receive $13.5 million for construction and renovation projects if North Carolina voters approve a proposed statewide bond issue in November.

The N.C. General Assembly gave overwhelming final approval on Thursday to call for a referendum on a $3.1 billion bond issue for the state’s public universities and community colleges. Voters will decide Nov. 7 whether to approve the massive borrowing plan.

The universities would get $2.5 billion. The community colleges system’s share would be $600 million.

“The bond proposal is good for our state — and our communities,” said state Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, an Orange County Democrat who represents the 16th District, which includes Moore County. “It takes care of our campus’ most pressing needs and does it with an affordable and fiscally sound plan. It deserves every voter’s support.”

Democratic Sen. Howard Lee, also from Orange County, said: “Too many campuses are handicapped by outdated laboratories, crowded classrooms and crumbling buildings.” The bond package will fix those problems without a tax increase, he said.

Sandhills Community College, even with the passage of a local bond issue in 1998 to address building needs, is not immune to the problems of crowded classrooms and cramped labs. The problems will only worsen as enrollment continues to increase, said George Lewis, vice president of instruction.

Under the bond proposal, Sandhills will receive $10,136,912 for new construction and $2,125,715 for renovation projects on its main campus in Southern Pines, according to Lewis. The college expects to get $1,333,467 for construction work at its satellite campus in Raeford in Hoke County.

Sandhills will not have to come up with any additional matching money to access its share of the bond proceeds because the county has already anted up enough money through a 1998 bond issue. Counties must provide a dollar-for-dollar match to get the state bond money.

Sandhills has a list of projects that could be funded with the bond money. But Lewis said no final decisions will be made on how to spend the money until the state community college board does a system-wide study on construction and renovation needs.

“There are always more needs than money,” Lewis said. “The campus is in a growing mode, the enrollment the highest it’s ever been in the history of the college.”

With just under 3,000 curriculum students last fall, the college is quickly running out of classroom space for many programs as enrollment continues to grow. There is little room to add new programs or expand existing ones.

Popular programs such as computer sciences need more space for labs, which are crammed into small rooms now. The college needs a place for its culinary arts program, Lewis said.

Some of the ideas being discussed include constructing a new high-tech classroom building for such things as computer science and engineering. Some of those classes are now in Causey Hall.

“When we built Causey Hall many years ago, we had to build in two pieces because our dollars were reduced,” Lewis said. “The labs were pared down in size, and we have tiny, hot computer labs that need fans. We need larger spaces for these labs. We’ve been adding a lab just about every year over the last several years.”

The college’s hotel and restaurant management and culinary arts programs are also gaining in popularity.

The college needs a modern culinary arts lab, Lewis said. There are 70 students on the waiting list for the program. Students are sent to local restaurants for some of their instruction because the college does not have a fully furnished lab on campus.

“Pine Needles and Mid Pines have been very generous with their staffs and chefs helping with classes,” Lewis said.

Lewis said the new student activity center, which will be built this year using money from the 1998 local bond issue, includes a room for the culinary lab but there is no money to completely furnish it, he said.

The new student activity center will also have a bookstore, cafeteria, lounge and study area. Those are now housed in Blue Hall.

When the new center is built, it will free up space in Blue Hall. Originally, the college considered using the building for computer sciences and other high-tech programs. But the renovation cost was too high, Lewis said.

The college is considering a host of other renovation projects that could be funded by the state bonds.

n A new therapeutic massage program needs small, separate rooms to provide adequate space for students to work.

n The surgical technology program needs a new laboratory to replace the existing one that has only one bed.

n More space is needed for the emergency medical services program.

n The very popular landscape gardening program needs to be expanded. It is housed in Hewitt Hall, a temporary metal building put up many years ago that has outlived its life span.

n Renovations are needed to Stone Hall, the current administration building. More space is needed for the student development area. That includes counseling, registrar’s office, student testing and office space, which are cramped.

As construction work continues on projects funded by the 1998 bond, a number of programs will be shifted around, Lewis said, which free up space in some areas.

“There is a lot of shifting going on, and there will probably be more of it if we get the additional bond money,” Lewis said.