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

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29 1 Chair Rich said the district tax was rooted in a racial inequity to insure that African 2 Americans could not move into the school system. She said that may not exist now, but it was 3 true at one time years ago. 4 Commissioner McKee said the education from both school systems is good. He said 5 there is a perception that CHCCS provides a better education for their students, but he disagrees 6 with this. 7 Commissioner Dorosin said he did not mean to imply that CHCCS provides a better 8 education than OCS. He said there is a perception that more money equals a better education. 9 He said both districts provide a good education, but the funding is inequitable. 10 Commissioner Bedford said there is an impression that Orange County is a wealthy 11 County. She said Orange County may be doing better than some counties, but nationally it is not. 12 She said it is worth changing the 48.1%budget target. 13 Commissioner Marcoplos said Orange County actually funds their schools similarly to 14 counties that are 20 slots higher in wealth in North Carolina. He said much more of Orange 15 County wealth is going to education per capita. 16 Commissioner Marcoplos said CHCCS is second in the nation in the achievement gap, 17 and there are many ways to address equity in the schools systems and they are not all connected 18 the money. 19 Commissioner Price said in recent years both school systems have been in the top 5 in the 20 State. She said the perception is with the wealth, and many people think CHCCS has all the 21 money, but many people in CHCCS are forgotten, and have very little income. She said the 22 schools were segregated in 1909 when the district tax was established, and she thinks the tax had 23 more to do with wealth than race. She said the perceived difference between the two districts has 24 always struck her as strange. She agreed it would be good to find out what the CHCCS spends 25 the extra district funding on and what are their priorities. 26 Chair Price said the 48.1% is just a target, and it is not a mandated percentage. 27 Chair Rich said yes, 48.1% is a target and it helps staff with planning. She said it is a 28 starting point. 29 Chair Rich said the BOCC can either do a survey or a poll to understand if OCS wants to 30 be part of a referendum, 31 Commissioner Dorosin suggested sharing this discussion with both school boards. He 32 said everyone has concerns and questions about the different levels of funding, and would like to 33 ]earn more about how the additional $2000/student manifests itself in CHCCS. 34 Chair Rich said it would be good to find out what OCS is offering that CHCCS is not, 35 and vice versa. 36 Commissioner Dorosin said it may be a good idea for students to be able to take classes 37 in the other district, and all options should be explored. 38 Commissioner Dorosin said there should be a conversation with their legislative 39 delegation to get their perspective on this disparity in funding between the two school districts. 40 He said maybe the outcomes could help the BOCC with questions to put on a poll or survey. 41 Commissioner Bedford said she thinks the BOCC can do whatever its want to do with the 42 district tax, and may be able to bring the OCS up to the CHCCS level. She asked if John Roberts 43 would research this. 44 Bonnie Hammersley asked if staff should put this on the agenda for the joint meeting with cn 45 the schools on the 28