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Commissioner Halkiotis said that this year is an unusual set of circumstances. He does <br />not think that there will be any relief for Medicaid. He thinks there will be more unfunded <br />mandates and that this year will be one of the most challenging budget years in the last 15 <br />years. <br />c. Funding Equity in School Operating Budgets <br />John Link said that this was not about numbers, but about an approach to addressing <br />school funding equity for the coming fiscal year. <br />SCHOOL FUNDING EQUITY <br />RESEARCH & ANALYSIS <br />Fall 2003 presentations, work sessions, public hearings on potential school merger <br />impacts and funding equity <br />September 15, 2003 staff report -appendices reflect hypothetical financial and <br />taxation impacts under various funding equity scenarios <br />Equity/merger actions reserved pending results of three education initiatives <br />o Educational Excellence Work Group - UNC School of Education study of <br />resources <br />o School Collaboration Work Group -regular facilitated meetings of Chair, Vice <br />Chair, Superintendents, Manager <br />o County/School Efficiency Study -Robert Segal, CPA <br />SCHOOL FUNDING EQUITY <br />CONSIDERATIONS <br />• Main factor affecting funding equity is approximate annual proceeds of $13 million <br />from CHCCS special district tax <br />• At same point in the future, BOCC must define "equity" so that ultimate target will be <br />clear <br />o Absolute funding equity (e.g. local ar total annual per pupil funding identical <br />between school systems}? <br />o Programmatic equity (e.g. all OCS &CHCCS students with access to all of <br />each systems programs)? <br />o Or -somewhere between these two ends of the spectrum, andlor <br />some combination of funding and programmatic equity? <br />SCHOOL FUNDING EQUITY SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING <br />• If effort is to be made to narrow the local per pupil funding gap, there are three main <br />approaches prescribed in NC statutes available to BOCC: <br />1. Levy countywide supplemental tax <br />2. Levy Orange County Schools supplemental district tax <br />3. Increase countywide property tax rate <br />• First two approaches require majority approval in referendum of voters to establish <br />authority to levy tax; due to time constraints, cannot be implemented before 2006-07 <br />• Third approach could be used for 2005-06 <br />SCHOOL FUNDING EQUITY <br />2005-06 CURRENT EXPENSE CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK <br />• FY2004-05 per pupil appropriation of $2,623 as foundation <br />