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APPROVED 1113197 <br />ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION <br />CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO BOARD OF EDUCATION <br />JOINT MEETING <br />SEPTEMBER 30, 1997 <br />MINUTES <br />The Orange County Board of Commissioners met in joint session with members of the Orange <br />County School Board and the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School Board on Monday, September 30, 1997 at <br />7:30 p.m. in the Homestead Community Center, Homestead Road, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. <br />COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT:_ Chair William L. Crowther, and Commissioners Moses <br />Carey, Jr., Margaret Brown, Stephen Halkiotis and Alice Gordon. <br />COUNTY COMMISSIONER ABSENT: None. <br />COUNTY ATTORNEY PRESENT: Geoffrey Gledhill <br />ORANGE COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Chair Larry Haverland, and members <br />Bob Bateman, Keith Cook, David Kolbinsky, Richard Kennedy, Susan Dovenbarger and Delores Simpson. <br />CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT:- Chair Mark Royster, and <br />members Mary Bushnell, Harvey Goldstein, Elizabeth Carter, Kenneth Touw, and Nicholas Didow. <br />COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager John M. Link, Jr., Assistant County Manager Rod <br />Visser, and Deputy Clerk to the Board Kathy Baker. Other staff will be identified as appropriate in the body <br />of the minutes. <br />SUBSTANTIAL EQUIVALENCY OF SCHOOL FACILITIES:_Commissioner Gordon presented this item for <br />discussion with the School Board members. This would establish a school funding policy that would state <br />that all schools in Orange County, whether new or existing, should meet the basic standards established <br />for new schools or be substantially equivalent. She pointed out that all children deserve to have equivalent <br />facilities in which to learn. This issue has been briefly discussed at the Board of County Commissioners <br />meeting; however, the Commissioners wanted to talk with both School Boards before any action was <br />taken. Then, if a course of action was agreed upon, the Commissioners would adopt the plan and work <br />with the School Boards to establish this policy. This policy would establish goals and/or guidelines only <br />and would not be intended to overturn or replace the capital improvement plan. <br />Orange County School Board Chair Larry Haverland stated that his Board had reviewed and <br />discussed this proposal. They are unanimously opposed to its implementation. They feel that it is an <br />impractical policy. The Capital Improvement Plan addresses all of the needs in a cost effective manner. <br />According to Mr. Haverland, it is impractical to spend this kind of money on schools that will have "aged <br />out" by the time they have been brought up to equivalent standards. <br />Orange County School Board member Susan Dovenbarger felt that the proposal was well meant; <br />however, deciding on which improvements would bring a school up to substantial equivalency was a <br />"gray" area and would not be practical in terms of the money spent. <br />Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School Board Chair Mark Royster commented that this is a good concept; <br />however, the source of funding is of concern to the members of his school board. They would want to be <br />assured that it did not end up being an issue of "unfunded mandates" above and beyond the needs <br />identified as capital improvement needs. <br />Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School Board Member Harvey Goldstein felt that one of the issues was <br />that the basic standards for elementary schools emphasizes square footage. That is not something that <br />can be duplicated in the older schools. <br />Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School Board Member Mary Bushnell stated that they were interested in <br />participating because substantial equivalence could be the blueprint for improving older schools. It could <br />improve and give order to the Capital Improvement Planning (CIP) process. There would have to be