Minutes 04-23-2020 Virtual Work Session

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27 republican majority in the GA has consistently cut funding to schools, and one option would be to change to percentage of the County budget that is allocated to schools, but with Covid-19 there are going to be great basic needs in the County. Commissioner Bedford said when people move to Chapel Hill they move there a lot of those times because of the school district. She said she chose a very small home in order to have her daughter in CHCCS schools, due to her special needs. Commissioner Bedford said the group in 2006 cautioned against a special district tax as it is focused on the residents in a particular area, as opposed to the entire County, and areas in rural Orange County do not have the same tax base as CHCCS. She said economic development may change this. Commissioner Bedford said a survey is a good idea, and the school boards could also be asked for input. She said if residents favor a tax raise, it is easy to do through incremental changes in the ad valorem tax. Commissioner Dorosin said there would not be cuts if you raise the ad valorem, and cut the district tax. Commissioner Bedford said CHCCS has many more children with special needs, and is using more of its special district tax to fund pre-K students. Commissioner Dorosin said it is a chicken and egg situation, and people want to live in CHCCS because there are good schools, but there are good schools because there is more money. Commissioner Bedford said she hopes EC education is strong in both districts. She said people move to CHCCS for the schools, but also the university and the medical centers. Chair Rich said the district tax was rooted in a racial inequity to insure that African Americans could not move into the school system. She said that may not exist now, but it was true at one time years ago. Commissioner McKee said the education from both school systems is good. He said there is a perception that CHCCS provides a better education for their students, but he disagrees with this. Commissioner Dorosin said he did not mean to imply that CHCCS provides a better education than OCS. He said there is a perception that more money equals a better education. He said both districts provide a good education, but the funding is inequitable. Commissioner Bedford said there is an impression that Orange County is a wealthy County. She said Orange County may be doing better than some counties, but nationally it is not. She said it is worth changing the 48.1% budget target. Commissioner Marcoplos said Orange County actually funds their schools similarly to counties that are 20 slots higher in wealth in North Carolina. He said much more of Orange County wealth is going to education per capita. Commissioner Marcoplos said CHCCS is second in the nation in the achievement gap, and there are many ways to address equity in the schools systems and they are not all connected the money. Commissioner Price said in recent years both school systems have been in the top 5 in the State. She said the perception is with the wealth, and many people think CHCCS has all the money, but many people in CHCCS are forgotten, and have very little income. She said the schools were segregated in 1909 when the district tax was established, and she thinks the tax had more to do with wealth than race. She said the perceived difference between the two districts has always struck her as strange. She agreed it would be good to find out what the CHCCS spends the extra district funding on and what are their priorities. Chair Price said the 48.1% is just a target, and it is not a mandated percentage. Chair Rich said yes, 48.1% is a target and it helps staff with planning. She said it is a starting point.