news-record.com

GREENSBORO - The school board is set to lock horns with the Greensboro ABC Board. Officials revealed Thursday night the ABC Board plans to relocate a liquor store on Pisgah Church Road about 1,700 feet west to sit next to the SCALE Academy, an alternative high school.

School officials said they had been in contact with the ABC Board and had attempted to resolve the issue without success. The Guilford County Board of Education voted 10-0 to file a formal complaint opposing the liquor store.

The issue was the only item on the school board agenda that newly appointed Superintendent Maurice "Mo" Green addressed at length. Although Green said he did not believe the school board should regularly oppose local and state agencies, it was clear the school system needed to take a stand on this issue.

"I have concerns about the behaviors that will be around an ABC store," and the impression it could give students, Green said.

Chairman Alan Duncan also recommended that the school board's legislative delegation ask lawmakers to regulate the distance between liquor stores and schools.

The school board also sent a policy addressing gangs in schools back to the editing desk. The board voted 10-1 to table a vote on the policy until a few minor changes were made to the wording.

The policy already has two "no" votes, however. Board members Amos Quick and Deena Hayes both said they would vote against the policy when it comes up again, citing concerns about how broad the language is.

The policy would set processes for allocating resources for gang prevention and intervention within the school system and would establish a committee responsible for that allocation.

"I'm not against the policy as much as I'm not clear about how we're defining at-risk students and neighborhoods," Quick said.

Hayes, who participated in the meeting by phone, said she felt there wasn't enough concrete information available about the gang situation in the county.

"I think it's been about opinion and fear," she said.

Garth Hébert cast the lone dissenting vote to table the issue.

"I just don't believe in procrastinating the inevitable," he said.

Contact J. Brian Ewing at 373-7351 or brian.ewing@news-record.com