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69 <br />The need, if county governments aze to remain responsible for school facility needs, <br />for county commissioners to have the authority to assure that funds appropriated to <br />meet these needs aze used accordingly. <br />Further, the Association believes that county commissioners together with the state must <br />be diligent in carrying out their financing responsibilities for school facilities. Adequate <br />capital financing arrangements will necessitate strong attention to long-range financial <br />planning. School building needs, of necessity, must be considered in the context of all <br />facilities which commissioners aze required to finance. <br />County Commissioners and Local Boards <br />As local officials, commissioners and local school boazd members can be more effective <br />by acting in unity to promote improvements in public education, especially in the azea of <br />sufficient state financing for a quality basic education. <br />The Association recognizes the importance of new anuroaches to education in the <br />effort to improve our public schools. Such innovations as alternative schools and <br />charter schools are intended to introduce greater choice into the state's public <br />educational system. When the General Assembly authorizes chang'.es to introduce <br />greater choice and/or, improve education, these changes and flexibility should be <br />equally available to all existing_nublic schools. <br />The Association will support efforts by state policy makers which, in the view of county <br />commissioners, will lead to substantive improvements in the state supported basic <br />elementary and secondary education programs available to the children of North <br />Carolina. Elementary and secondary public education should be a cleaz priority to insure <br />that North Cazolina citizens be well served by those schools as they now aze by the state's <br />public institutions of higher education. <br />The Association strongly urges the General Assembly to fund no more than one school <br />system per county in order to better utilize school facilities and financial resources. <br />Further, the Association believes that state policy makers should recognize the potential <br />impact of changes in the state supported education program on the facility needs of local <br />school systems. <br />The Association further believes that improved public education at this time in North <br />Carolina history is imperative to the future of its citizens and would encourage increased <br />state financial capability to support the necessary improvements. <br />I:~haredUim~Policy Statement on Elementary Education Secondary Education.doc <br />