Orange County NC Website
a <br />A RESOLUTION SEEI{ING SUPPORT FROM THE NORTH CAROLINA <br />GENERAL ASSEMBLY FOR ESTABLISHING ADEQUATE AND RELIABLE <br />FUNDING OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN THE TRIANGLE AND THROUGHOUT <br />THE STATE <br />WHEREAS, Durham, Orange and Wake Counties, along with their respective school <br />districts, Dtnham Public Schools, Orange County Schools, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, and <br />Walce County Public School System, firmly believe that every child within the Triangle should have <br />equal access to a sound quality public education in a safe learning environment; and, <br />WHEREAS, the responsibility ofproviding fliese educational opportunities is shared between <br />the State of North Carolina, our counties, and our local school districts under the guidance of North <br />Carolina's constitution; and, <br />WHEREAS, while overall state educational funding has increased largely to meet student <br />population growth, class-size reduction in elementary grades and persomlel salary and benefit <br />increases, state budgeting of public schools as a percentage of the state general fund has however <br />trended downward, resulting in reduced resources for schools without similar reductions in mandated <br />program responsibilities; and, <br />WHEREAS, elementary class-size reductions result in an unfunded mandate that does not <br />allow for adequate capital planning and imposes a burden on counties to fund additional school <br />facilities; and, <br />WHEREAS, parallel budget cuts affecting public schools have resulted in required state <br />discretionary reductions, declining teacher assistant allohnents, decreased school transportation <br />operating fiords, inadequate instructional teclurology supporC, withheld capital needs resources; and, <br />WHEREAS, stagnant finding for public schools has resulted in too few teacher allotments, <br />inadequate staffing allotments, lagging non-instructional support positions, insufficient textbook <br />allocations, def dent instructional supplies, limited fiords for children with special needs, etc.; and, <br />WHEREAS, these funding deficiencies create a greater reliance on local funding, thereby <br />exacerbating inequities in educational opportunities across the state; and, <br />WHEREAS, in light of this trend the Triangle's county governments and school districts seek <br />support from the North Carolina General Assembly to reverse this course and establish adequate and <br />reliable funding of public schools; <br />NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that Durham, Orange and Wake Counties, along <br />with the Durham Public Schools, Orange County Schools, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, and <br />Wake County Public School System, call upon the North Carolina General Assembly to reverse the <br />ongoing trend of insufficient operational and capital funding for public schools. <br />BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the General Assembly establish adequate and reliable <br />finding of public schools in North Carolina that matches needs, resources and mandates. <br />