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Orange County Schools and <br />Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools - <br />Funding EguitytPotential Impacts Resulting from a Possible Merger <br />Orange County Commissioners <br />Public Hearing <br />December 4, 2003 <br />Maior Milestones <br />January 2003 -Commissioner Moses Carey proposed that the BOCC consider <br />whether Orange County Schools and Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools should be <br />merged <br />March 2003 - BOCC adopted a CY 2003 goal (Appendix A of September 15, 2003 <br />report) tasking staff to prepare an analysis of implications of a potential school merger <br />April 2003 -Focus of merger evaluation narrowed primarily to legal, organizational, <br />and financial considerations <br />September 2003 - BOCC received staff analysis of potential impacts of school <br />merger in Orange County (posted at www.co.orange.nc.us) <br />October 2003 - BOCC conducted two public hearings to receive public comment <br />regarding potential merger of OCS and CHCCS <br />November 2003 - BOCC work session to consider citizen comments and further <br />discuss potential merger <br />December 2003 -additional public hearing <br />Scope of September 15 Analysis <br />^ Report is not a formal merger study or merger plan <br />^ Draws on statutory provisions, experience of jurisdictions that have considered and/or <br />implemented merger <br />^ Intent of analysis is to present factual information rather than opinion <br />^ Examples of questions not addressed in analysis: <br />. What school would my child attend in a merged system? <br />. What programming (e.g. elementary foreign language instruction) would be <br />available at individual schools? <br />. Would savings be achieved by merging school systems and if so, how much? <br />Merger Consideration in Orange Countv <br />^ BOCC appointed School Merger Study Commission in 1985 to examine potential <br />impacts of merger <br />^ Recommendations of Study Commission {Appendix E} <br />^ Equalize per pupil funding countywide <br />^ Fund construction of new schools based an cooperative facilities plan developed by <br />both systems <br />^ Encourage school districts to investigate areas where economies may be affected by <br />joint operations such as transportation, food service & maintenance <br />^ Encourage school districts to pursue areas of educational cooperation such as special <br />services <br />Collaboration Efforts <br />^ Since 1988, funding for school construction and renovation projects has totaled $277 <br />million <br />