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1 Chair Carey said that the options are presented as a report and he doubts if they will vote on it at <br />2 the same time. They will have a good discussion to decide where to go next. They may ask a group of <br />3 citizens to help them make that decision. <br />4 <br />5 Commissioner Crowther said that they expect a response in the near future from Chapel Hill- <br />6 Carrboro City School District on whether or not they are going to ask for a referendum in November to <br />7 expand the use of their district tax. <br />8 <br />9 Commissioner Willhoit said he feels it would be a bad policy to let Chapel Hill-Carrboro City <br />10 School District get these additional funds for capital projects. He feels the emphasis should be that this <br />11 is one County and it is the County Commissioners' responsibility to meet the needs of both systems. <br />12 However, if the buildings are different, then the extra cost should be funded out of the district tax. <br />13 <br />14 School Board member Susan Dovenbarger said that right now they can meet their needs but in a <br />15 few years that may not be the case. <br />16 <br />17 Chair Carey said that Orange County Schools can count on their needs to increase because <br />18 Chapel Hill will build out and then the population will increase in the northern part of the County. <br />19 <br />20 School Board member Rick Kennedy said that they cannot count on state numbers to determine <br />21 what they need down the road -- in the future. The numbers in DPI are wrong. Growth is moving on out <br />22 and the growth will increase. <br />23 <br />24 John Link said he would urge the County Commissioners not to take action until the statewide <br />25 bond issue is decided in November. Also, he has urged Dr. Petersen to pursue a referendum to amend <br />26 the uses of their district tax. The language will probably be broad. If the statewide bond issue passes, <br />27 Orange County will receive a total of $17 million for the two school systems. <br />28 <br />29 School Board member Bob Bateman emphasized that he just wants the County Commissioners <br />30 to know their position. He feels that option #5 penalizes them. <br />31 <br />32 Chair Carey said that option #5 would require a reallocation of funds. <br />33 <br />34 Chair Carey said that the school system can't lose money they never had. There is no <br />35 guarantee that the money will stay the same -- there is a guarantee that the County Commissioners will <br />36 meet the needs of the kids with what they have to allocate. This is their responsibility. <br />37 <br />38 School Board member Haverland feels there is something wrong with Chapel Hill when they ask <br />39 for $14 million for one middle school. Johnson County is going to build two schools and renovate <br />40 another for $19 million. <br />41 <br />42 Chair Carey said that the curriculum drives the type of building and what goes into it. He does <br />43 not make comparison without the knowledge of what goes into the schools. Standards have been <br />44 adopted and it is the Board's responsibility to provide the resources to meet those standards. They have <br />45 a 10-paint plan and they are committed to education. <br />46 <br />47 School Board member Susan Dovenbarger asked what would happen if option #5 is adopted and <br />48 they get a few years down the road and the growth continues and they need a new high school, how <br />49 would that be funded. <br />50