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Schools have trouble tapping stimulus funds
Jones Senior High School has one of the best boys' basketball teams in eastern North Carolina, but its gymnasium is on the verge of collapse.
In March, engineers found that the walls and roof don't meet the state's building code and that "moderate- to high-wind velocities could threaten the stability of the structures."
"I wouldn't want to be in here in a bad storm," said physical education teacher Debbie Philyaw.
After the federal stimulus passed in February, North Carolina school officials thought they had found a way to repair the 58-year-old gym and other crumbling school structures. The stimulus provided money for Qualified School Construction Bonds, which is intended to let school districts raise capital through interest-free bonds to fund construction.
The program also was expected to boost North Carolina's construction industry. Ben Matthews, director of school support for North Carolina's Department of Public Instruction, estimated it would create 11,000 jobs.