LIES AHEAD FOR THE REST OF THIS WEEK. THAT’S COMING UP SOON. THANK YOU, BRIAN. BRIAN, WALTER HESSENTHALER HESSENTHALER, RATHER, THE FORMER FOOTBALL COACH AT SOUTHERN ALAMANCE HIGH SCHOOL CAN NOW WORK WITH STUDENTS AGAIN. THE DISTRICT REINSTATED HESSENTHALER AS A TEACHER AT ALAMANCE VIRTUAL SCHOOL OFFICIALS SAY HE WILL NOT RESUME HIS COACHING RESPONSIBILITIES AT THIS TIME. HE WAS WIDELY KNOWN AS COACH FRITZ. HE WAS INITIALLY REMOVED FROM SCHOOL LAST MONTH, STUDENTS AND FAMILIES HELD A PROTEST OUTSIDE THE ALAMANCE BURLINGTON SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICES. AS YOU HEAR HER, AS YOU SEE HERE, ONCE THEY LEARNED OF THAT DECISION, THE DISTRICT DID NOT SHARE DETAILS ON WHY COACH FRITZ WAS REMOVED, CITING PRIVACY AND LEGAL CONCERNS. MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN FUNDING IS HEADED TO THE ALAMANCE BURLINGTON SCHOOL SYSTEM TO HELP THE DISTRICT GOING THROUGH WHAT IT CALLS A FINANCIAL CRISIS ALAMANCE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS APPROVED $6.4 MILLION FOR THE DISTRICT. THAT’S TWO $2.5 MILLION LESS THAN WHAT SCHOOL SYSTEM LEADERS ASKED FOR. PART OF THE ADDITIONAL MONEY WILL COME FROM UNSPENT BOND FUNDS TO PAY FOR CLEANUP OF MOLD FROM SCHOOL BUILDINGS. THE OTHER PORTION IS FROM CAPITAL RESERVES TO PAY FOR PROJECTS ALREADY STARTED. COUNTY COMMISSIONER CHAIR JOHN PAISLEY SAYS EVEN THOUGH THE BOARD APPROVED THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR ABSCESS, HE WANTS ASSURANCES THAT IT WILL BE SPENT WISELY. THERE ARE FISCAL YEAR SHOW THAT THEY HAD SPENT ROUGHLY $2 MILLION MORE THAN THEY HAD AND ASSURED US THEY’RE NOT BEING, IN MY OPINION, RESPONSIBLE WITH THE MONIES THAT THEY ARE OR BEING GIVEN. YOU CAN’T OVERSPEND YOUR BUDGET AND ADD OR THE MONIES YOU HAVE IN HAND. DISTRICT OFFICIALS RESPONDED, SAYING COUNTY COMMISSIONERS NEED TO MAKE STUDENTS A PRIORITY. WE WORK HARD EVERY DAY FOR THE 22,000 STUDENTS IN THIS COUNTY, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR THE FUNDING AND FOR THE FUNDING FOR OUR STUDENTS. THE SCHOOL DISTRICT SAYS RECEIVING LESS MONEY THAN IT ASKED FOR MEANS CRITICAL SECURITY UPGRADES WILL NEED TO BE POSTPONED. SENECA ROGERS IS THE NEWEST MEMBER OF THE ALAMANCE BURLINGTON BOARD OF EDUCATION. HE WAS SWORN IN LAST NIGHT TO FILL A SEAT LEFT VACANT BY A RETIREMENT. ROGERS IS A LIFELONG RESIDENT OF ALAMANCE COUNTY. HE GRADUATED FROM CUMMINGS HIGH SCHOOL AND WORKS AS A REIMBURSEMENT ANALYST AT LABCORP. STOKES COUNTY SCHOOLS IS MOVING FORWARD WITH A PLAN TO CONSOLIDATE SEVERAL OF ITS SCHOOLS. THE BOARD VOTED 4 TO 1 LAST NIGHT TO APPROVE A LONG RANGE PLAN FOR THE DISTRICT. THE PLAN WOULD INVOLVE CLOSING PINE HALL AND LAWSONVILLE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AT THE END OF THIS SCHOOL YEAR. THE BOARD SAYS PINNACLE ELEMENTARY WOULD CLOSE WHEN A NEW KING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IS FINISHED. MEADOWBROOK ACADEMY WOULD MOVE TO THE LAWSONVILLE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SITE AT THE END OF THE 20 2324 SCHOOL YEAR. DISTRICT OFFICIALS SAY DECLINING ENROLLMENT AND INCREASING MAINTENANCE COSTS LED THEM TO THE IDEA TO CONSOLIDATE THE GUILFORD COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS INVESTIGATING A CASE OF TUBERCULOSIS. TUBERCULOSIS FOUND AT RAGSDALE HIGH SCHOOL. ACCORDING TO THE COUNTY HEALTH DIRECTOR, THE DEPARTMENT WAS NOTIFIED ABOUT THIS CASE ON FRIDAY. IT WORKED WITH GUILFORD COUNTY SCHOOLS TO IDENTIFY ANYONE WHO MAY HAVE BEEN EXPOSED AND LET THEM KNOW ABOUT TESTING. WE’RE TOLD THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT WILL ALSO PROVIDE TESTING AT THE