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82 <br /> The County's unemployment rate in December 2019 was 2.7%, as compared to 3.3%for the State <br /> and 3.4% for the United States. <br /> Government and Major Services <br /> Government Structure. The County has a commission-manager form of government with a seven- <br /> member Board of Commissioners comprising the governing body. The commissioners are elected on a <br /> partisan basis for staggered four-year terms.The County manager is appointed by and serves at the pleasure <br /> of the Board of Commissioners. The Board of Commissioners annually adopts a balanced budget and <br /> establishes a tax rate for the support of the County's programs. The County Manager has the responsibility <br /> of administering these programs in accordance with the policies and the annual budget adopted by the Board <br /> of Commissioners. <br /> Education. Two separate school administrative units, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools <br /> ("CHCCS")and Orange County Schools("OCS"),provide public education in the County. CHCCS serves <br /> the Towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro and a small area outside the Towns, and OCS serves the remainder <br /> of the County. CHCCS has the highest average SAT scores in the State for public school systems and its <br /> high schools have been recognized in national publications for its excellent academic performance. Non- <br /> partisan elected boards of education administer both units. <br /> The State pays for the basic minimum education program for each school administrative unit. <br /> Funding for this basic program is provided by appropriations from the State Public School Fund.Additional <br /> funding is provided by special State and federal grants. The County also appropriates funds to each school <br /> system, which provides for program expansions beyond the State basic minimum. The County has <br /> consistently maintained among the highest per pupil appropriations of any county in the State. A special <br /> school district tax is levied in CHCCS. This tax is a significant revenue source for the CHCCS system. <br /> (See the section"Tax Information"below.) The County Commissioners have adopted a policy of allocating <br /> approximately 50%of unrestricted locally-generated revenues to public school purposes. <br /> The following table reflects average daily membership ("ADM")' and the number of schools for <br /> both OCS and CHCCS for the past five academic years. <br /> Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools <br /> Elementary Intermediate Secondary <br /> Grades K-5 Grades 6-8 Grades 9-12 <br /> School No. of No. of No. of Total <br /> Year Schools ADM Schools ADM Schools ADM ADM <br /> 2015-16 11 5,480 4 2,838 3 3,686 12,004 <br /> 2016-17 11 5,547 4 2,834 3 3,756 12,137 <br /> 2017-18 11 5,545 4 2,835 3 3,855 12,235 <br /> 2018-19 11 5,483 4 3,003 3 3,988 12,474 <br /> 2019-20 11 5,354 4 3,051 3 3,950 12,355 <br /> Orange County Schools <br /> Elementary Intermediate Secondary <br /> Grades K-5 Grades 6-8 Grades 9-12 <br /> School No. of No. of No. of Total <br /> Year Schools ADM Schools ADM Schools ADM ADM <br /> 2015-16 7 3,255 3 1,743 2 2,528 7,526 <br /> 2016-17 7 3,317 3 1,730 2 2,503 7,551 <br /> 28 <br />