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8 <br /> 1 The Orange County Schools Board of Education adopted the resolution provided at <br /> 2 Attachment 1 requesting that the Board of Commissioners adopt a resolution in support of <br /> 3 the restoration of local control of school calendars. The Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools <br /> 4 Board of Education adopted the resolution provided at Attachment 2 requesting that the <br /> 5 Board of Commissioners adopt a resolution in support of the restoration of local control of <br /> 6 school calendars. <br /> 7 <br /> 8 Commissioner Dorosin said he had a suggested addition to discuss after the <br /> 9 resolution is read. <br /> 10 Commissioner Bedford read the draft resolution and the revised resolution is below: <br /> 11 <br /> 12 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> 13 RESOLUTION SUPPORTING LOCAL CONTROL OF SCHOOL CALENDARS <br /> 14 <br /> 15 WHEREAS, the North Carolina General Statutes give local boards of education powers of <br /> 16 supervision and control of local school systems; and <br /> 17 <br /> 18 WHEREAS, local control over establishing school calendars is an integral component of <br /> 19 school system supervision and administrative powers with which local boards of education <br /> 20 have been vested; and <br /> 21 <br /> 22 WHEREAS, in 2004 the North Carolina General Assembly seized control of setting school <br /> 23 calendars and imposed a one-size-fits-all mandate on how school calendars are to be set; <br /> 24 and <br /> 25 <br /> 26 WHEREAS, the current one-size-fits-all school calendar start date is no earlier than the <br /> 27 Monday closest to August 26 and the end date is no later than the Friday closest to June <br /> 28 11; and <br /> 29 <br /> 30 WHEREAS, the State mandated late August start date means high schools do not <br /> 31 complete the first semester until mid to late January; and <br /> 32 <br /> 33 WHEREAS, the current law essentially requires high school students to take first semester <br /> 34 exams after the winter break, which negatively impacts test scores, according to students <br /> 35 and educators; and <br /> 36 <br /> 37 WHEREAS, the second semester for high schools starts two to three weeks later than <br /> 38 community colleges and universities; and <br /> 39 <br /> 40 WHEREAS, superintendents report that the calendar misalignment makes it nearly <br /> 41 impossible for high school students or recent winter graduates to take courses at a nearby <br /> 42 community college or university during the second semester; and <br /> 43 <br /> 44 WHEREAS, exams for Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate classes are <br /> 45 given on the same day nationwide, and the current calendar law shortens the amount of <br /> 46 time North Carolina's students have to learn the material before test day; and <br /> 47 <br /> 48 WHEREAS, it is well-documented through multiple studies that children will experience a <br /> 49 phenomenon known as summer learning loss, which has a disproportionate impact on low- <br /> 50 income children; and <br />