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- There are several significant areas where chance is causing boards of education to question <br /> the need to maintain special chartered school districts: <br /> w, o Today, citizens in county administrative units expect the same quality of <br /> education as those in special chartered school districts. Two counties- <br /> which have special chartered school districts have a supplemental current <br /> expense levy for the county administrative unit. Other county units have <br /> supplemental levies for individual attendance areas: Polk (Saluda), Buncombe <br /> (Enka), Harnett (Dunn), Martin (Jamesville), and Randolph (Archdale-Trinity). <br /> Only 29 of the 42 special chartered districts have supplemental levies. <br /> There is a growing attitude that the total resources of the county should be <br /> placed behind every student in the county. <br /> o The wealth is shifting from the special chartered school districts to the <br /> county administrative units as residential , industrial , and commercial <br /> growth favors the suburban and rural areas. <br /> During the last decade, the per pupil tax base growth in only eight special <br /> chartered school districts kept pace with the county-wide tax base growth. <br /> Today, ten special chartered school districts have a lower per pupil tax - <br /> base than their counties. <br /> o North Carolina's student population has declined during the last decade. <br /> Generally, special chartered school districts have declined at a faster <br /> rate than their respective county administrative units. Population pro- <br /> jections indicate that during the next five years, 30 of the 42 special <br /> chartered school districts are projected to decline faster than their <br /> county units. <br /> ~ The decline has been significant for those eight special chartered school <br /> districts with less than 2,000 students which would typically have less <br /> than 618 high school students. Below this size it is difficult to economically <br /> offer a comprehensive .program. <br /> o During the last decade, 38 of the special chartered school districts had <br /> a greater increase in the percentage of non-white students than their <br /> county administrative units. In 1983-84, twenty-nine special chartered <br /> school districts had a greater percentage of non-white students than their <br /> county units. <br /> o In 19e3-84, twenty-five special chartered school districts hatr a-greater <br /> percentage of Chapter I students than their county administrative unit. 3 <br />