Orange County NC Website
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o Professional Development: Consistent, high level teacher training to maintain and <br /> improve the quality of instruction and innovation to best meet ever-changing student <br /> needs <br /> o Grow Our Own: Partnership with NC Central University to train our top TAs to become <br /> high quality teachers in highest need areas (Exceptional Children, Math, Science, <br /> etc.) <br /> 5. Community partnership and economic development:As one of the largest employers in <br /> Chapel Hill-Carrboro, the CHCCS living wage commitment supports teachers, staff, <br /> parents and community members and generates economic and social returns for our <br /> communities <br /> 6. Facility improvement: Focus on intentionally designed instruction space, with improved <br /> health, safety, and access benefits that consistently maintain facility value for our <br /> community and reduce overall investment needs <br /> II. ENVIRONMENT <br /> State education funding changes: Since fiscal 2008, funding from the state of North Carolina <br /> to school districts has been substantially reduced. Although there are significantly more <br /> students in schools in 2016/17, state funding for education (including inflation) is lower than the <br /> amount provided in 2008/9. These reductions include state funding for principals and assistant <br /> principals, teaching assistants, professional development, transportation and other areas. From <br /> 2008/09 to 2015/16 across the state: Funding for Teacher Assistants fell by 9%, for Assistant <br /> Principals 19% decline, funding for Instructional Support Staff fell by 8.4%, funding for Non- <br /> Instructional Staff fell by 12%. <br /> Per pupil funding has changed from 2008/09 as follows: <br /> • Textbook funding has been reduced from $68 to about $35 in 2016/17 (50% reduction) <br /> • Instructional supply funding has been cut from $59 to about $28 in 2016/17 (53% reduction) <br /> This reduction in state funding has required significantly higher investments from local <br /> governments to maintain high quality education. In Orange County, our communities have <br /> provided additional support to subsidize loss of state funds for education. <br /> Decreasing state and federal funding for social services <br /> Other areas that impact student development and education outcomes have also faced funding <br /> reductions in the state of North Carolina. Funding to support mental health, housing, and other <br /> social services have not returned to pre-recession levels although public needs have increased <br /> in these areas. Schools increasingly face increased needs in these areas. <br /> CHCCS District Wide Structural Changes <br /> Amid this environment of declining state funding for education and other social needs, our <br /> district continues to experience changes in student demographics. The population of students <br /> with significant needs is growing. This change creates a ripple effect on school resources <br /> required to provide a free and appropriate education that meets the expectations of our <br /> community. When a family with school age children experiences trauma and/or increased social <br /> needs, nowhere is it more evident than in our schools. Increasingly, schools are becoming a <br /> central delivery point for social services to families in areas such as, mental health, physical <br /> health, child and family nutrition and other social supports. Although schools have limited <br /> 1 -2 <br />