Thursday, October 1, 2026
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Gaston County, NC (WNN) - Before the June 23, 2026, commissioners meeting, a peaceful assembly was held by the Gaston County Education Alliance. The goal of the attendees was to raise awareness of the funding needs of Gaston County Schools. They did so by gathering on the corner of Highway 74 and Martin Luther King Jr. Way in Gastonia, NC.
As hundreds of cars passed through the intersection, the near nonstop honking in support of their message could be heard. The attendees were encouraged to wear red in line with Red4EdNC, to show their continued support for education. With the message focused on improving lives in the community, they felt it especially important to address the difficult issue of school funding with positivity. Many of the signs were humorous, such as one reading “Will Work For Glue Sticks.” Ann Doss Helms, the chair of Indivisible Gaston, brought out a tool of the Indivisible movement that she believes began in Portland.
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Faced with large men in body armor and armed with guns, Indivisible decided to respond with absurdity. Protestors began coming out in inflatable frog suits and facing these sorts of confrontations with silliness. Helms decided to do much of the same, laden with her own frog suit and a sign reading “HOP TO IT! FUND OUR SCHOOLS”. However, a shift could be felt from Helms and other attendees when addressing the commissioners later that evening.
The Confederate monument outside the courthouse on Martin Luther King Jr. Way, the state of funding in the Gaston County School system, a lack of observed public communication, and the discomfort with stating their address on a public live stream are all topics that have been regularly broached by the citizens of Gaston County. However, the tone changed at this meeting, with citizens losing faith that their elected officials were truly listening to them. Sean Bates, the President of the local NAACP chapter, normally speaks on the monument and what it means for the institution of the Gaston County government. This was foregone during today's speech, in favor of asking officials for accountability.
Another speaker started the discussion on being forced to state your address, which almost everyone disagreed with. The first to mention it at the meeting cited a double standard, noting that at the April 14th meeting, a citizen spoke in support of keeping the Confederate monument in place. This speaker was not made to state her name or address. The public is asking that the rules be changed to align with other counties that only require recording with the court, not airing publicly. They did relate this to another issue: clapping is not allowed for speakers at these meetings. This is giving the citizens a sense of a double standard, as whether or not clapping is a disruption seems to be at the board's discretion. It is allowed during board-issued awards, but denied for speakers during citizens' comments. These are increasingly seen as control tactics rather than a fair standard.
Brittany Elkin and many other speakers accused the board of not being transparent and of not considering what citizens are asking for. In the case of the Confederate monument, three of the board members had previously been on record voting to remove it, but speakers feel this has been quashed behind the scenes. They share the same skepticism about meetings meant to help determine funding for Gaston County Schools, as these are not public meetings. Given the significant contention surrounding Gaston County Education, these issues discussed behind closed doors are not helping public opinion. The commission, however, made changes to allow two more people to attend these meetings for transparency.
After the citizens were heard, Chairman Chad Brown mentioned that, in speaking with teachers and community members, he felt that those additional individuals were needed, then opened the floor to the county manager. County Manager Matthew Rhoten explained how the numbers have been inflated to the ones used in arguing against the current allocations. He suggested that the state numbers were likely the source the speakers were using. These are inflated due to the inclusion of debt proceeds as revenue. His numbers suggest increases of 22% in property taxes and 23% in general revenue. These are, of course, lower than the 60-80% estimates. He then mentioned that total spending on the school system is higher than reported, due to capital increases being generally ignored. While $60 million is the relevant number for operations, the combined number pushes $90 to $100 million. However, these numbers aren't the only numbers leaving citizens scratching their heads over funding allocations.
As Gaston County Schools faces a perceived crisis, the commission is considering raising working revenue by investing in sports. Sports Facilities Companies presented them with options for a new facility in Dallas, to be completed within 3 years if the council chooses to pursue it. At full scale, this would occupy 13.43 acres, including 766 parking spaces, a multi-story facility, setbacks, and green space. The facility would cost between $56 million and $68 million. One floor would see 8 basketball courts with variable usage, capable of hosting 16 volleyball courts or 24 pickleball courts for tournaments. The next would host fake turf for indoor soccer and VR golf. The facility would also include a fitness center and an elevated walking track.
The final cost of the facility will also include subsidies of around $1.4 million to keep it operational until its full maturity at five years, leaving it roughly at break-even. It was suggested that in year five, it will be fully self-sustaining, generating around $4,642 in annual net income. At this rate and at minimum cost for the facility, it would take 12506 years for the facility to pay for itself. However, the economic benefit of these facilities is not measured by the revenue they generate in-house, but by their economic impact. During the first five years, it would deliver a projected economic impact of $42,043,005, with the projection gaining $9,698,989. This would mean the facility would take roughly 6.5 years to become a positive revenue stream for the county if the minimum facility cost is used, or 8 years if it approaches its maximum cost. The attendees, of course, were not enthused by the suggestion that the county spend this amount of money when the school system is in need. You can see the whole meeting for yourself, however, by clicking here.
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