FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- Fort Bragg, the largest army post in the country, is expanding fast.

 

Eleven counties surrounding Fort Bragg will experience a significant increase in economic and population growth during the next five years.

 

This is a result of Congress dictating to the U.S. Army to reduce wasted infrastructure in the country.

 

So, with troops from around the world relocating to Fort Bragg in the near future,there could be about 26,000 more military residents living near Bragg, more than 16,000 additional jobs and 63,000 more students. But problems in education are already rising.

 

BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure) officials say there is no money for new schools, and if federal funding doesn't come soon, there will be an obvious shortage of teachers, classrooms, and facilities.

 

"We're already behind on when we should be starting school construction," said Paul Dordal, the executive director of the BRAC regional task force. "I should have started last year in order to accommodate the growth we're going to see in the next few years. So, it's a major problem as timing goes right now, and the longer we are delayed in finding funding, the worse it's going to get. “