Orange County NC Website
Chair Jacobs said that when the regional initiative was announced, he spoke with <br />someone from the Division of Air Quality about our request to have an air quality monitor in <br />Orange County. They cost about $50,000, and it was suggested that if the County could get <br />someone at UNC or even at one of the high schools to adopt the scientific maintenance of the <br />monitor, the State would look more favorably upon locating one here. This would be a great <br />educational tool. He suggested having the Commission for the Environment communicate with <br />the educational system. <br />c. Schools Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (SAPFOI-Technical Advisory <br />Committee Annual Report <br />The Board received a preliminary report on the student membership and capacity of the <br />Orange County Schools {OCS) and Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS} as of <br />November 15, 2003, and an related issues as outlined in the draft Annual Report of the SAPFO <br />Technical Advisory Committee {SAPFOTAC} and provide any appropriate direction to staff. <br />Rod Visser said that the major issue that the Board of County Commissioners needs to <br />deal with relates to the notion of capacity. There has been a change in the past year based on <br />policies from the State Department of Public Instruction that has said that the schools need to <br />reduce class size for K-2 by two students to a ratio of 21:1. This would create a need to provide <br />additional space to house the students. <br />Geof Gledhill said that the most important issue for the Board is section 1-b of the <br />agreement, which is page 4 of the packet. The "building capacity" idea is a joint decision of the <br />Board of County Commissioners and the school districts. This is not the same decision that is <br />being made with respect to the school district transmitting building capacity to the parties and <br />the County signing off within 15 days of the school capacity being delivered. <br />Craig Benedict said that there is a capital investment plan capacity increase, such as <br />adding seats that have been approved. The other changes have to do with guidelines from the <br />State. <br />Chair Jacobs said that the legislators indicated that efforts are underway to change the <br />dictates from the State to reduce class size. <br />Commissioner Carey asked about the timing for the joint decision to be made and Geof <br />Gledhill said that it needs to be made very quickly. <br />Craig Benedict said that the certification process should have happened in February. <br />There were 143 new students in Orange County and 313 in Chapel Hill-Carrboro. Each year, <br />the numbers would be certified using the same student generation rates. The memberships <br />would be taken for ten-year projections. There is growth anticipated in both school systems. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis said that they stated to the legislative delegation about this <br />being another unfunded mandate. He asked what the position was of the North Carolina <br />Association of County Commissioners with these proposals of reducing class sizes. He asked <br />staff to find this out. <br />Chair Jacobs would also like to know if the NCACC has a position on the Leandro case <br />because it appears that the State government is going to fight to prevent further dictates toward <br />equity. <br />Commissioner Gordon said that the membership numbers and almost everything else <br />except the class size reduction was fine. She asked if the Board could approve everything <br />except that issue. <br />Geof Gledhill said that the Board could move forward on the certification process that <br />allows the CAPS permitting piece to work, by asking the Boards of Education to submit building <br />capacity based on the redefined standards. Then it can be certified within the time period and <br />the joint work could be done to address the change in building capacity. <br />Commissioner Gordon stated that she did not understand what else needed to be done <br />besides the K-2 class size issue. Rod Visser said that Commissioner Gordon is right and the <br />