Agenda - 05-19-20; 8-a - Minutes

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26 1 $53.4 million in current expense funding based on an enrollment of 12,274 students. The 2 Orange County Schools District was allocated approximately$35.4 million in current expense 3 funding based on an enrollment of 8,134 students. 4 5 State law also allows Local Education Agencies (LEA) to levy special district taxes. District 6 taxes must be approved by referendum. Once the tax is approved, the Board of County 7 Commissioners formally approves the special district tax rate each year. Attachment A shows the 8 counties in the state that levy taxes for more than one school district and the special district tax 9 rates, if any, authorized in each of those Districts. The most recent data available from the 10 Department of Public Instruction is from 2017-18. 11 12 The Special District Taxes are only levied within the District's boundary. In FY2019-20, Chapel 13 Hill Carrboro City Schools maintained a special district tax rate of 20.18 cents per$100 assessed 14 value. For this fiscal year, the special district tax is estimated to generate an additional $1,977 per 15 student or a total of$24,267,972. This additional per pupil funding increases per pupil resources 16 in the Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools District to a total of$6,329.25. 17 18 Based on the requirements of State law, the County cannot equalize the total per pupil amount 19 since it must provide the same per pupil funding for current expenses to each district. At this 20 time, the County does not have a way to equalize the total per pupil funding unless each district 21 authorizes the same special district tax or the existing special district tax is eliminated. 22 Chair Rich said Commissioner Dorosin has brought this up repeatedly over the past seven 23 years, and she asked him to elaborate this evening. 24 25 Commissioner Dorosin said the County has per pupil funding based on enrollment: 60/40 26 between CHCCS and OCS. He said CHCCS also has the special district tax, which results in 27 about an extra$2000/more per student. He said there is something that is inequitable about this 28 process, and he wonders how the Board can justify this disparity within the County. 29 He said his proposal in the past has been to do general fund increases, with decreases in the 30 special district tax. He said he is aware OCS rejected a district tax years ago. He said he is open 31 to creative ways of how to address this inequity. 32 Commissioner Dorosin said the BOCC should reach out to its legislative delegation for a 33 local bill to reduce disparity without cutting education. 34 Chair Rich said the General Assembly component is crucial, and of all the districts with a 35 special tax, CHCCS is the highest. 36 Commissioner Price said if it comes through the general fund it will raise taxes for 37 everyone. 38 Commissioner Dorosin said if the BOCC wanted to lower the district tax, then it would 39 be offsetting. 40 Commissioner Price said the residents in OCS would see it as a tax increase for schools. 41 Commissioner Dorosin said the tax would be for all schools. 42 Commissioner Price said opinions may have changed, but OCS residents have historically 43 said no to raising taxes to pay for schools.