Agenda - 05-13-2021 Virtual Budget Work Session; Item 1 - FY 2021-22 Budget Work Session with Durham Technical Community College, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, and Orange County Schools

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06 11 LEANDRO V. STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA: AN INTRODUCTION The state of North Carolina has been engaged in litigation schools,the consensus is clear:those state funds are inadequate, defending its system of school finance for more than twenty-five and as such,the state continues to fail to meet its constitutional years. In 1994,five school districts in low-wealth counties along obligation to provide a sound basic education to each and every with families filed a lawsuit against the state(Leandro v.State of child across North Carolina. North Carolina),arguing that their school districts did not have enough money to provide an education for their children that In 2018,Judge David Lee,who now presides over the Leandro was equal to that of higher wealth counties,despite the fact that case,ordered WestEd,an independent educational consultant they taxed their residents at a higher rate than the state average. that was chosen and agreed upon by all parties to the case, to analyze North Carolina's school funding history,outcomes During the course of the Leandro litigation,the North Carolina and structure and recommend ways for the state to comply Supreme Court has repeatedly acknowledged these educational with the Leandro rulings. In December 2019,WestEd released inequities between low-wealth and high-wealth districts,and their findings as well as a sequenced action plan to meet the the Court has also made clear that it is the state that bears state's constitutional obligation to provide each and every North responsibility for fulfilling the constitutional obligation to guard Carolinian with a sound basic education.See page 13 of this and maintain the right of every North Carolina child to receive a report for highlights of WestEd's plan. "sound basic education:'(Leandro v.State of North Carolina,346 N.C.336(1997).) In January 2020,following the release of WestEd's report, Judge David Lee signed a consent order,agreeing with the Yet more than two decades later,those counties that were among conclusion by all parties in the Leandro suit that a definite the lowest funded in the state—Hoke, Halifax, Robeson,Vance, action plan must be implemented this year for the successful and Cumberland —remain toward the bottom of our rankings provision of the constitutional Leandro rights—a sound basic in terms of their ability to support public schools on a per education for all.The action plan is expected to be largely in pupil basis. Robeson County once again ranked dead last in its line with the recommendations contained in the WestEd report. ability to pay for the 15th year in a row.While state lawmakers We look forward to tracking these school funding developments do appropriate additional state dollars in the form of the low- throughout 2020 and moving forward throughout the next wealth and small county school system supplemental funding to decade. counties that lack the ability to generate local revenues for public WHY DOES • ■ STATE BEAR THE PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY • PUBLICFUNDING • • OF OUR COUNTIES • ■ SchoolNorth Carolina's first state constitution (1776)included an education provision that stated,"A School or Schools shall be established by the Legislature for the convenient instruction of Youth."Since then, lawmakers passed two Schooland a .. - operational instructional costs of public schools,and local governments in exchange assumed responsibility for capital expenses. But over time, local districts have .. to increase local investments in instructional expenses. Even so,it remains the state that bearsresponsibilityobligation "sound Leandrobasic education"as affirmed by the litigation.