Commissioner: JCPS Risks Losing Additional Funding If They Don’t Oppose Critical Race Theory

SMITHFIELD – The Johnston County Public Schools Board risks losing additional funding July 1st if they don’t adopt a policy preventing the teaching of Critical Race Theory. County Commissioner Fred Smith of Clayton made the statement Monday during a meeting of the Johnston County Board of Commissioners.

“I don’t believe the school board has a policy to prevent the teaching of Critical Race Theory in our public schools and I am opposed to teaching that in our schools, which takes a misguided history of races and cultures (and) are not in the best interest of our nation and our county.”

“While we can’t tell the school board to adopt that policy I just want it to be known that I’m not going to vote for any budget that increases their funding at all if they can’t come forward with assurance that in Johnston County that they’re not teaching the Critical Race Theory in our classrooms to our children, opposed to what the majority of our taxpayers want,” Smith said.

“I agree with you,” Commissioner Ted Godwin replied.

April Jones Lee is President of the Johnston County Association of Educators. 

“I don’t think anybody on this board would disagree with that,” Chairman Chad Stewart added.

“What I’m hoping is, the school board will deal with this and assure us with a policy they will not support Critical Race Theory being taught in our schools before we have to adopt the budget. I want the whole world to know how I feel about this,” Smith responded.

Critical Race Theory or CRT is a movement by civil rights activists with common themes that white supremacy and racism exists and maintains power through the law. Some public schools across the United States have embraced the various teachings of CRT which promotes the idea one race is superior to another, individuals should receive special treatment solely because of their race or sex, and individuals bear responsibility for actions of past members of their race.

“I’m not going to agree not to increase funding based on what he (Commissioner Smith) has said,” Commissioner Tony Braswell stated.

Commissioner Chairman Chad Stewart said commissioners and school board members have a scheduled “3 on 3” meeting later this month to discuss their budget differences and wanted to know if commissioners wanted CRT brought up.

Commissioner Larry Wood replied, “I think what Commissioner Smith said is very clear. Critical Race Theory should not be taught in Johnston County Public Schools.”

Commissioners Wood and Godwin said they would like to see the school board adopt the CRT policy as requested by Smith.

Commissioner Butch Lawter said he was unsure and wanted to see the policy first.

Chairman Stewart said he would bring up the concerns at the 3-on-3 meeting.

School Board Response
Johnston County Report reached out to School Board Chairman Todd Sutton for a comment on Commissioner Smith’s statement today. In an email late this afternoon Sutton said, “We are appreciative of our strong relationship with the Johnston County Commissioners and the work that they do to further education for our students. Johnston County Public Schools currently does not have an instructional model that teaches Critical Race Theory. Our district is dedicated to academic excellence and to teaching to the standards outlined by our state.”

We also reached out for a statement from Superintendent Dr. Eric Bracy. We have not received a reply.

School Budget
Johnston County Public Schools is seeking $79,927,090 from commissioners this year, an 11 percent increase in their general fund. Factoring in their capital outlay requests, the overall budget request is up 13 percent even though student enrollment is projected to decrease by 1,250 students this fall. County Manager Rick Hester has proposed funding the school system $72.5 million. The 3-on-3 meeting is planned to try and work out the difference.

Additionally, Johnston County Schools will have a projected $20 million in reserve funding in the bank by June 30, 2021 in part because of excess federal CARES ACT funding and reduced expenses because of the pandemic. The school board wants to keep the full $20 million in reserves while asking commissioners to fully fund their budget increase.

NC House Vote
On May 12th, the NC House voted 66-48 to pass a bill that would prohibit the exclusive teaching of Critical Race Theory in North Carolina public school classrooms. Democrats called the measure anti-American and hateful, while Republicans countered that it was focused on ensuring equity in schools.

Lt. Governor: CRT Seeks To Divide Us
After the May vote, Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson said, “North Carolina’s school children should be taught how to think—not what to think. Radical leftists complain that this legislation is ‘white-washing history’ and ‘academic apartheid.’ Students should absolutely learn the horrific facts associated with slavery, Jim Crow, and other dark times in our nation’s history. They should not, however, be subjected to pseudo-science social justice initiatives like the ‘1619 Project’ and ‘Critical Race Theory,’ which seek to divide us along racial lines and teach that the systems of our Republic and the history of our great American experiment are shameful.”

“Our children, regardless of their background, should know that it is their shared and diverse experiences that make America great, and learning about those experiences should bring them together—not drive them apart,” Robinson added. “This legislation ensures that our students will be taught that we all have value, regardless of who we are—or who our ancestors were.”

35 COMMENTS

  1. Bravo, CRT is a maligned revision of history that spreads division instead of unity. The supporters of CRT are marxists who are attempting to subvert our freedoms!

    • Tax Payers, what does 3 on 3 commissioners meeting mean? Is that a meeting in which we can have a dead lock vote by leaving out one of our 7 commissioners? The fix is in and I have been telling you folks that these two boards have been holding hands behind your backs. Look I am laying off the adult beverage log enough to make sure you Tax Payers realizes that these so-called conservative commissioners
      are in the JCPS club. The Chairman of the Johnston County Commissioners is married to a teachers Union teacher and is very well compromised, then we have another commissioner that rents commercial property for his lively hood from the Chairman of the Johnston County Commissioner that is married to a Johnston County teacher Union teacher. Dear God, do you Tax Payers see the God Awful Train Wreck that is playing out before us? Is this enough said?

  2. I am very sure you have an overwhelming support in ensuring CRT is eradicated from our school system. Anyone in favor of CRT should be aware that they would be accountable in future elections.

  3. Did Commissioner Braswell basically use a double negative to imply that he would still increase funding even if JCPS Board decided to push CRT? I’d like clarification.

    • You spelled “revenge” wrong, and it’s the Lord’s.

      Teaching children to hate other children for the purposes of revenge, which is all critical race theory is, is not how we achieve “unity”.

      Also, everyone already knows that the liberal definition of “unity” reads: “Do as we say conservatives and we won’t burn your sh*t down.” 🙄

    • Hey Dominic, if you truly cared about unity, you would care deeply what others have to say.

  4. Teaching children to hate other children or even their own selves simply because of the color of their skin is on its face hypocritical.

    No thinking American could support critical race theory.

  5. There’s not a single one of you idiots responding here who know even the least tiny bit of what CRT us or is not. NOR do you have any knowledge of curriculum that teaches CRT. Shoot, most of you couldn’t define curriculum, let alone CRT.

      • When all they can do is point out typos, you know they have nothing intelligent to argue about or with. Thanks for contributing, genius.

        • Seriously BW (which must be an acronym for Brain dead Water buffalo), learn how to spell and proof read prior to making a post calling everyone you disagree with an idiot. It’s just not a good look. I mean, really bro? “Is” is only a two letter word!

          Also, my reply wasn’t an argument, it was a simple spelling correction.

    • For anyone wanting to see what CRT is really about I suggest watching Rev. Voddie Baucham’s talks on YouTube where he discusses the dangers of this movement. His sermon ‘Biblical Justice vs Social Justice’ and ‘Ethnic Gnosticism’ are especially good.

    • Support for CRT is support for a reboot of Jim Crow; no thanks. We got rid of that crap for a reason.

  6. April Jones is the absolute worst person to represent teachers. I am sure there are many that agree with her.., but I promise, there are MANY more teachers that do not . I know many parents/students that have suffered in public education due to her own personal/political agendas. She openly promotes her thoughts to students and NO one at the school or county level addresses it. I know for a fact that parents have complained about her to the school and county and nothing happens. She has a right to her views, but she does not have a right to push it on students…. plus.., she can’t keep up with her grading, but has plenty of time to post on social media!! She needs to be a blogger, not a teacher.

  7. We don’t need to teach students how to think critically, in JoCo schools! Just have them parrot what the leaders say!

  8. So BJ ….. we are all idiots for not agreeing with your pathetic, ignorant and racist CRT program that is mainly use for more division? Yep ….. that’s exactly what /how the left work…….. they really can’t hold a reasonable discussion without calling names, putting down others and always trying to put the blame on everyone except for where it actually goes!!! My ex-wife is a JoCo School Principal and from what she has witnessed…… they are try to be quite about it, but it’s definitely on some educators agenda!!!!!!

  9. Folks, the fix is in and rest assure the critical race issue is your child being programmed with a Socialist-Communist indoctrination. I don’t think that’s why these commissioners are doing this, I don’t think this is what keeps them up at night? I think they realize that we the Tax Payers understand that when they allowed the tax revaluation to raise our property taxes 11 percent we were so ignorant that we would not realize that with even this budget of Mr. Hesters cutting another 1 percent it still raising your property taxes 9 percent. I am sorry Mr. Fred I just don’t buy this bull? And the 3 commissioners that are up for re-election understands that too. We are watching a slow motion train wreck playing out before us in our beloved county.

    https://jocoreport.com/county-property-tax-rate-up-11-percent-under-budget-proposal/

  10. Folks, I am wrong and the Property tax rate will be a 10 percent higher when this budget is approved and believe me
    It will be approved. I was thinking wrongly that they decreased your property tax rate last year but they just left it unchanged so they raised your property taxes last year 11 percent. This year with Mr. Hesters proposed budget lowering your property tax rate 1 percent will mean a 10 percent increase unlike the 11 percent increase last year. Still Tax Payers you see I rather be conservative and give them the benefit of of the doubt. It even worst than I thought it.

    • Where is the increased property tax? From the article:

      “To remain revenue neutral, the County could have lowered the property tax rate to 70 cents but kept it at its current rate of 78 cents per $100 valuation.”

      And later…

      “While the 78 cents property tax rate has not changed in 17 years…”

      According to what I’ve been able to find, the Commissioners have not raised the property tax rate. Are you suggesting that I should be upset because my largest asset (my house) is now worth more? I’m not sure about you, but I’d prefer to have an appreciating asset! Unless you’d rather your home become worth less and less each year?

  11. A County Board of Commissioners made up of all white men is opposed to CRT? And felt the need to make a proactive threat to the Board of Education? I’m shocked!

    • I am pretty shocked myself some White people decided to actually say something about blatantly anti White propaganda.

  12. Considering CRT is rabidly anti white, sort of makes sense the white people would proactively ensure we do not have it tossed about flagrantly. Fear not, so long as teachers are still sent commie rags like “Teaching Tolerance” (which it does not do) and decide to have communist symbols when they gather at the capitol, I am pretty sure some measure of the silly anti white propaganda will make its way into a classroom.

  13. To BM, the glib, name-callilng Critical Race Theory advocate: are attributions of idiocy to those with whom you attempt to argue all you’ve got? You must do better to maintain any credibility in arguing your positions.
    Of course Critical Race Theory is anti-white racist in its essence, teaching that white privilege and white discrimination are endemic within America’s “systemically racist” institutions, laws and culture. It is a Marxist attempt to divide our populations along racial lines by creating ineradicable, divisive racial hatreds. As such, CRT has absolutely no place in our classrooms. Fred Smith is right to take the budgeting position he has, and kudos to him for having done so.

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