Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
II. If the countywide supplemental tax is approved by the voters, the commissioners will include the <br />following items in the county budget far FY 2004-2005.` (MaylJune 2004) <br />A. Set the countywide supplemental tax rate as appropriate to address demonstrated <br />unmet needs for the schools. It is recommended that the rate be set at 4 cents <br />per $100 of valuation. This will increase funding to the Orange County Schools <br />by approximately $1.5 million, which is about one-half of the amount that was <br />not funded in the FY 2003-2004 budget. <br />B. Adjust the city district tax rate downward to compensate for the increase in the countywide tax <br />rate. This adjustment will be made so that the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Schools will not only be "held <br />harmless" in the narrow sense, but also so that the total funding to the district will increase as <br />appropriate to address demonstrated unmet needs. <br />III. The commissioners will formulate funding guidelines and priorities for the countywide supplemental tax. <br />Far example, the tax could be used for funding equity, to promote collaboration, and for other purposes to <br />allow the schools to operate at a higher standard. The commissioners will also define equity and identify <br />their intentions concerning the total tax increase that will be necessary to achieve funding equity between <br />the two school districts and the time period for that increase. (Spring 2004) <br />STEPS TOWARD COLLABORATION <br />I. The two school districts, in partnership with the commissioners, will agree to work with a facilitator to <br />identify concrete steps far collaboration. They will agree on the funding, the facilitator, and other aspects of <br />the collaboration study. (By February 2004) <br />II. The collaboration study will produce an interim report by May 2004, in time to initiate some meaningful <br />collaboration during the 2004-2005 school year if at all possible. The final report will recommend significant <br />collaboration that will take place during the 2005-2006 school near and beyond. <br />Proposed by Alice Gordon at the November 11, 2003 BOCC Work Session <br />*If action cannot be taken by this date, the tax will be implemented as soon as legally possible. <br />A PROPOSAL TO PROVIDE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY FOR EACH <br />ORANGE COUNTY CHILD TO REACH HISJHER <br />FULL EDUCATIONAL POTENTIAL <br />PRESENTED BY <br />MOSES CAREY, JR. <br />DECEMBER 9, 2003 <br />The Orange County Board of Commissioners should ask the voters to vote to select either a 1) Countywide <br />Supplemental Tax (ad valorem tax} for Education or 2) Merger of the two school systems during the <br />primary elections in 2004, which are normally held in May. <br />The options for the voters would be as follows. Voters may only vote for one of the following options: <br />Approve a Countywide Supplemental Tax for Education and give the Board of Commissioners <br />the authority to levy the tax annually up to a maximum of $.351$100 valuation. This vote would be <br />binding. If approved, the tax would be implemented in July 2004 or July 2005. If it is not <br />operationally possible to implement the tax in July 2004, the BOCC will proceed with the 2004105 <br />budget to increase the county general ad valorem tax and reduce the CHC School District tax <br />proportionately to help fund schools in Orange County. This would provide some immediate <br />