Orange County NC Website
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Education Funding in Orange County <br />In North Carolina, each county is responsible for supplementing state appropriations to public education. <br />Local current expense appropriations are allocated to each school system based on an equal amount per <br />pupil. In addition, counties provide funds to each system for recurring and long -range capital projects. <br />School systems in North Carolina do not have separate taxing authority and are not allowed to issue debt <br />for school construction and renovation projects. Therefore, issuance and repayment of long -term debt, <br />such as general obligation bonds and private placement loans, are the responsibilities of county <br />government. Many city school units in the state also have special district taxes. These voter - approved <br />taxes, levied within the unit's boundaries, further supplement county funding. <br />Historically, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners has given top priority to funding public <br />schools. The County's number one ranking in total education funding in the state evidences this. The <br />chart to the right compares Orange <br />County's total 1998 -99 General : <br />Fund appropriations for education <br />to several other counties in the <br />State. As the graph indicates, <br />Orange County's total spending <br />per pupil is almost twice the State <br />$3,000 <br />average. <br />$2,500 <br />Recently, the Board of County $2,000 <br />Commissioners asked the County $1,500 <br />Manager to look at various $1,000 <br />alternatives for funding public $500 <br />education in Orange County and to $o <br />Ofeege Wthw Chethw Weh Sttle Alatsece Penoe C....1 Rh.... <br />develop parameters for future A.e g. <br />funding. This report contains ■ Orange County ■ Surrounding Counties 0 State Average <br />possible funding models that the <br />Board may choose for the Manager <br />to use as he develops the annual <br />recommended budget for schools. While this approach guides staff in developing the annual budget, each <br />year the Board can consider departures from the recommendations based upon particular one -time <br />circumstances such as start up costs for new facilities. <br />Staff contacted several counties throughout the state to determine what, if any, funding formulas are <br />currently in use. The counties responding to the survey included: <br />• Alamance • Brunswick • Charlotte - <br />Mecklenburg <br />• Chatham • Durham • Forsyth <br />• Guilford • Lincoln • Moore <br />• New Hanover • Pitt • Scotland <br />• Surry • Wake <br />Eight of the responding counties use formulas or other guidelines to determine school funding (as shown <br />in Figure 2 on the following page). Staff found few similarities in county funding for school systems. <br />Some counties use a formula for current expense funding only while other counties use a formula to <br />