Governor’s School pushes for restoration of funding

Members of the N.C. Governor’s School Foundation are hopeful that legislators will consider their program when allocating state funds.

While state representatives are receptive to supporting the school — which lost all state funding last year — its future remains uncertain.

Sen. Neal Hunt, R-Wake, said getting support from the House — which is currently planning its budget proposal — would be an uphill battle.

“I’m very sympathetic to the cause,” Hunt said. He said it’s a matter of limited resources rather than ideology.

More than 20 alumni, parents and teachers from the school spent the majority of the day Tuesday speaking to legislators about the value of the school.

“It’s not just a summer camp,” said Scott Gayle, who attended the school in 1968. “It is the jewel of the North Carolina crown.”

Governor’s School is a summer residential program for gifted high school students.

The N.C. General Assembly eliminated state funding for the 50-year-old school last June. The Governor’s School Foundation — which was created in 1990 — raised $700,000 by February.

Roice Fulton, vice president of the foundation, said that is enough to support 550 students for five weeks if each student is charged $500.

Gayle said many of these donations were one-time only, making it difficult to count on them in the future.

He said barring funding from the legislature, it would be very difficult for the school to raise enough money to cover its operating costs.

The school used to support 800 students for six weeks without charging tuition. The school was free for students until 2010 when funding was cut from more than $1 million to $850,000, forcing the school to charge tuition and reduce admission rates.

Lawmakers said this is not a partisan issue. But some senators said the House is less likely to restore the school’s funding.

“I think the Governor’s School has made its case, and there will be some effort on the Senate side on this issue,” Sen. Peter Brunstetter, R-Forsyth, said.

Fulton said the program is an efficient use of state funds based on the success rates of former students.

According to a 2012 survey conducted by the school, 95 percent of its alumni have graduated from or are attending college, and 48 percent of graduates go on to pursue a graduate degree.

As many as 70 percent of alumni remain in or return to the state after college.

“This program creates a unique opportunity to excel,” said Fulton. “It creates the opposite of a brain drain for the state.”

Linda Lamb said her daughter benefitted from the school’s college-like atmosphere. She said it was a perfect program for future leaders of the state.

Lamb said it is shortsighted of legislators to neglect the academic enrichment of the state’s best students.

“I want to retire knowing that the movers and shakers who next run the state have faced the right challenges and have big ideas,” Lamb said.

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