Orange County NC Website
Katherine Browne requested that taxes not be raised further to <br />support the schools. She suggested that the County offer to subsidize <br />local students attending private schools which would alleviate the <br />overcrowding in the schools. <br />Robin McWilliam, a member of the FPG School Governance Committee, <br />spoke in support of fully funding the schools request. He requested <br />that the entire 2 cent increase in the district tax be approved. He <br />mentioned that the students with special needs must be considered in <br />the funding decision. These students are expensive to educate and we <br />must not be let down. <br />Jim Goldstein requested that the Board of Commissioners hold the <br />School Boards accountable for their budget requests. He suggested <br />that the County budget include organizational charts. Also, he asked <br />if the System Analyst position that the manager is recommending for <br />the position transferred from the Tax Assessor's office is really <br />necessary. He asked that the Efficiency Study Committee document <br />their report. <br />Louise Cole, a mother of 6 children, asked that the County not <br />rubber stamp the school's budget request. She indicated that each of <br />her children earned lower S.A.T. scores than the previous sibling in <br />spite of receiving excellent grades in school. One suggestion for <br />improved accountability is zero-based budgeting. She also mentioned <br />that the Arron Harris Elementary School in Durham implemented a <br />program in January of 1994 which increased their end-of-year test <br />scores to the best in their district. A report on this program, in <br />its entirety, is in the permanent agenda file in the Clerk's office. <br />Alice Ammerman, a parent representative on the Student Goverance <br />Committee of Glenwood Elementary, reported that the SGC unanimously <br />supports full funding of the School Board's budget recommendation. <br />She stated that she is dismayed at the need for parents and students <br />to hold sales of various items to support needed programs. <br />A.C. Cantrell, Chair of the Carrboro Student Goverance Committee, <br />spoke in support of full funding of the School Board's budget request. <br />She stated that the quality of education in the area of Arts has <br />greatly suffered in recent years. She also mentioned that there are <br />already many administrators in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro System who are <br />teaching in the classroom.. The most effective solution to the <br />problems being faced by the educational system would be robust <br />business development. Orange County's business is education and in <br />her experience as a Planning Board member there seems to be a <br />antipathy toward the business community. Business requires a degree <br />of predictability which is not offered in Orange County. She <br />suggested that for the long-term solution, the County consider a more <br />attractive environment for business. The short-term solution is to <br />continue to fund education with property tax revenue. <br />Livy Ludington spoke in support of full funding for the schools. <br />