Minutes - 08-27-2001 - Laserfiche WebLink

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only half of the school using bond funds. The other half was paid for with the next ten years of CIP money. She challenged Chapel Hill-Carrboro Schools to do the same when it comes to any of the schools that are requested. She said that Orange County Schools was only asking for equality. Nicholas Didow read a letter on behalf of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School Board, which is in the background material. He said that the board scaled back its bond request, at the direction of the Commissioners, to include the two elementary schools, renovations to the older facilities, and additions to the current high school facilities as part of a transition strategy toward a third high school. The band request totaled $42.8 million. Projections consistently indicate that Chapel Hill-Carrboro Schools will need at least two more elementary schools and an additional high school. The Capital Needs Advisory Task Force recommended that $62.4 million be allocated in the November bond for school needs in bath districts. On June 25t", the Commissioners reduced the total category by more than $15 million to a total of $47 million for both school districts. He believes that the Commissioners have radically altered the letter and spirit of the task force's recommendations by cutting the amount of the school category in the bond referendum. Providing only two elementary schools through the bond referendum does not and will not by itself meet the capital needs of the fast-growing school district. He said that Wane of the other proposed sources of funding could address the need even for just the third high school. He said that it was time for the Commissioners to formally commit to providing funds through alternative financing for justified projects that both school districts have requested beyond those needs that will be addressed within the November 2001 bond. He made reference to the suggestion of sharing school facilities across school districts and said that in January 2001, the two school board chairs established a joint committee to explore ways to develop and share alternative and magnet programs, particularly at the high school level. He supports exploring options for students to voluntarily attend schools across district lines, provided that capacity and other resources are in place. However, he cannot envision a feasible option in place within three ar four years that would entice several hundred to a thousand Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School students to leave their home high schools. He said that short of the Commissioners directing merger, or redrawing the district lines, he does not believe that anyone has the legal authority to assign students to schools outside of their home district. He said that the citizens need to be assured beyond any doubt that the Commissioners are fully committed to meeting all legitimate school facility needs in a timely manner in realistic ways. He requested that the County Commissioners act immediately to determine how all critical needs will be met in a timely manner, as well as the critical needs of the Orange County school district, which he also strongly supports. Val Faushee, Gloria Faley and Teresa Williams gave their time to Nick Didow Judy Margolis thanked the Board of County Commissioners for working with the citizens of Orange County. She read a prepared statement. She spoke about the needs for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools. She served on the Capital Needs Advisory Task Force. She spoke about the needed renovations of the older schools necessary for health and safety. She said that the task force approved $4.5 million far the renovations. She urged the Commissioners to include this on the bond. She said that Chapel Hill-Carrboro Schools represent 78% of the growth in the County, and the task force believes that school bond allocations should follow that percentage. Also, she would like the Commissioners to continue to work with both systems to standardize how student projections are reported for better consistent planning. She also urged the Commissioners to fully fund the parks and recreation recommendation of the task force. Specifically, she spoke in support of the greenways allocation for Chapel Hill and Carrboro, the aquatic center, Southern Community Park, and lights for the middle school. Susie Wilde has a daughter in Chapel Hill High School. She said that her daughter's English teacher has no room of his own. She said that overcrowding adds one more stress that no teacher needs. Lisa 5tuckey, a parent of three children in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, said that her children have been in overcrowded conditions almost every year they have been in school. She has also served on the past two Capital Needs Advisory Task Forces. She endorsed what Nick Didow said. She urged the Commissioners to identify funds, in the bond ar otherwise, to be used for the purchase of land for a third high school site as recommended by the task force. She said that we must move forward now and address this