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Teaching chemistry in the Hubbard chemistry building has been an everyday struggle for N.C. Central Professor Wendell Wilkerson.

“We have major problems at this chemistry building,” said Wilkerson. “We can start with the size. We are running out of space.We don’t have gas ... for Bunsen burners and other experiments. So we have to work around that by changing the experiment.”
 

Getting the bond passed is a priority for Chancellor Julius Chambers.

Help may be on the way in the form of a $3.1 billion university and community college bond that will pump over $118 million into NCCU, if passed on Nov. 7.

NCCU will use the money for improvements and renovations, including a $36 million science complex to replace the Robinson, Hubbard and Lee buildings.

“That is what the bond issue will address,” Wilkerson said. “It will give me a building, [where] laboratories are safe and work efficiently. It will allow me to be more efficient in my teaching. Every time that I have to deviate or rewrite an experiment — to deal with our accommodations — it takes extra time.”
 With an expected increase of 100,000 students in the next 10 years, the bond will address other needs with $600 million going to 59 community colleges and $2.5 billion for the 16 University of North Carolina campuses and UNC-TV. 

Many community colleges have long waiting lists for classes, including high-demand fields like information technology. Universities are turning away students due to overcrowding. Classrooms, science labs and dorms are outdated and many do not have fire sprinklers. 

UNC-TV will use almost $66 million to convert to digital television. The station must convert by May 2003, by order of the Federal Communications Commission, or risk losing its broadcast license.

“I’m optimistic that it is going to pass,” said Leslie Bevacqua, director of North Carolinians for Educational Opportunity, a committee formed after the referendum was passed through the N.C. General Assembly.

“I think it is important for people to know that we need to pass this bond issue in terms of opportunities for everybody across the state,” said Bevacqua. “These bonds are important to give everybody an opportunity for the education they need and the education they deserve. It is incredibly important that we vote for the bonds on November 7.”  

State Treasurer Harlan Boyles supports the bond.

“Like a candidate running for election, we’re not taking anything for granted,” said Bevacqua. “We’re being aggressive about getting our message out because people need to know the issues at stake, and we want voters to know the facts.”

One fact that NCFEO wants voters to know is that taxes will not be raised to pay for the bond. 

According to N.C. State Treasurer, Harold Boyles, there will be no state tax increase and with the bonds, the state will still have one of the lowest debts in the nation. Repaying the bond will take less than one percent of the state budget and should be repaid over a 25-year period.

“The bond will be paid from general fund revenues,” said Bevacqua. “In the general fund, they have programmed money in to pay back the bond. Clearly, the general assembly and the state treasurer have agreed that it can be done without raising taxes.”

The bonds will be issued over a six-year period, starting in 2001. An independent oversight committee — created by the legislature — will monitor each school’s spending, making sure the money goes where it belongs.

Recent polls have shown support for the bonds. In a poll conducted by the News & Observer and WRAL-TV, 58 percent of the likely voters said they would vote for or lean toward voting for the bond and 25 percent said they were against or leaned against it, while the rest were undecided or refused to answer.

NCFEO released a poll, conducted by NCFREE, showing 75 percent were in favor of the bonds, while 18 percent were opposed and seven percent were undecided.

“I’m very optimistic. I really think it will pass,” said NCCU Chancellor Julius Chambers. “I haven’t heard of that much opposition. I don’t know why there should be. I know some people have expressed concern because several cities and counties have a bond issue going at the same time. 

“But I think most North Carolinians know about the dire need of many of the institutions for capital improvement. And they know that this is about the only way they’re going to get it.”

Voters in Wake County will also decide on a $500 million school bond, and Mecklenburg County has three bonds, including a $275 million school bond.

The higher education bonds have also gained bipartisan support. Both Gov. Jim Hunt and Senator Jessie Helms are backing it.

With growing support for the bond, Wilkerson believes he will get the facility he needs to help serve NCCU students.

“We want to have a facility that will allow me to teach students the same way I would teach them at any major university,” he said.  “Our students deserve the same facilities and the same exposure as students at those universities are getting. It is wrong if we don’t do that. That’s my drive. That’s why the bond issue is so important,” said Wilkerson.