Agenda - 05-05-2016 - 4-b - Resolution Calling for the General Assembly To Fully Fund North Carolina Public Schools.

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RES-2016-033 DRAFT 2 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS RESOLUTION CALLING FOR THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO FULLY FUND NORTH CAROLINA PUBLIC SCHOOLS Whereas, the North Carolina Constitution includes an obligation to provide a sound, basic education to all school aged children in our state, acknowledging that talent and ingenuity can be found among all our children; and Whereas, public education is the cornerstone for our democracy and economic future; and Whereas, state and federal elected politicians have failed to follow constitutional and statutory mandates to fully fund public education and public school teachers and disregarded poverty among our public school children; and Whereas, inflation-adjusted per pupil spending is still below pre-recession levels; and Whereas, the national average for school funding per student is$11,841; and Whereas, in terms of per pupil spending, a National Education Agency report ranks North Carolina 46th in the United States in 2014-15, spending $8,632 per student, compared to $8,620 per student in 2013-14; and Whereas, in 2008, North Carolina teacher salaries ranked 25th in the nation but had fallen to 46th in 2014- 15; and Whereas, that despite research showing cost—effectiveness of Pre-K services, the North Carolina General Assembly has cut funding and reduced the number of state-funded pre-kindergarten seats by 5,400 since 2008 resulting in continued waiting lists; and Whereas, approximately 60 percent of public education funding comes from the state, while the remainder is funded at the local level and by the federal government; and Whereas, as the state has abandoned its Constitutional obligation to fund our public schools forcing many local government leaders to shoulder more of the burden by increasing property taxes or cutting important programs or positions; Now Therefore, be it resolved that: ➢ The Orange County Board of Commissioners calls for the N.C. General Assembly to fully fund public education in Local Education Agencies to reflect growth and student needs; and ➢ The Orange County Board of Commissioners calls upon the General Assembly to reinstate K-12 enrollment growth (ADM funding) as part of the continuation budget; and ➢ The Orange County Board of Commissioners calls upon the legislators of both parties to reject the trend toward shifting education spending to counties; and ➢ The Orange County Board of Commissioners calls upon the General Assembly to raise additional state revenue in an equitable fashion in order to avoid regressive tax shifts to counties. Approved this the 5th day of May 2016. Earl McKee, Chair Orange County Board of Commissioners