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'aCo)as <br />A PROPOSAL TO IMPROVE EDUCATIONAL <br />OPPORTUNITY IN ORANGE COUNTY <br />° ° t J- 4 <br />1 <br />TAI- EMM. <br />Create a Commissioners' Educational Excellence task force to provide a thorough, <br />unbiased review of the Orange County and Chapel Hill Carrboro City school districts. <br />Analyze the resources and programs available; address concerns regarding funding <br />disparities, cooperation, and other matters identified by the Board of County <br />Commissioners; and determine to what extent changes are necessary to assure that each <br />student in Orange County has an equal opportunity to achieve a quality education. Charge <br />the group with returning a report to the Board of County Commissioners by the end of the <br />2003 -2004 fiscal year, if possible. <br />ACTION BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS <br />- -Hire a consultant to report to the BOCC who would examine the operations of each <br />school system from an efficiency and business standpoint, with the object of improving <br />education, reducing costs, and identifying areas of potential collaboration such as <br />purchasing. <br />-- Consider for adoption as part of the I0 -year Capital Investment Plan a resolution <br />stipulating that capital funds will be allocated to build a single proposed central office <br />shared by both school systems. <br />- -Have county staff analyze for possible adoption by voters a countywide supplemental <br />school tax that would be dedicated to school needs, scaled to reduce the CHCCS district <br />tax as appropriate, and that would serve to unify support for education in Orange County. <br />COLLABORATION: <br />Charge the Chapel Hill Carrboro City and Orange County school boards to return to the <br />Board of County Commissioners by June 1, 2004 with an analysis and plan of action to <br />implement collaboration in the following areas: <br />-- A-joint effort to coordinate the implementation of a middle college program; - preferably <br />in concert with Durham Technical College. <br />- -A single alternative school program for students in both districts. <br />- -A plan to allow students in each district to readily access courses and programs not <br />available in their district but offered in the county's other school system. <br />-- A plan to institute regular meetings between the superintendents and their respective <br />staffs to examine areas of mutual educational interest and potential cooperation, including <br />an annual report to the public on their progress at working together. <br />-- A,joint early - childhood program. <br />- -An effort to expose parents in the CHCCS system to the features of the OCS year -round <br />schools at Hillsborough Elementary and Stanback Middle School. <br />- -A strategy for promoting contacts between children in the respective school systems on <br />an ongoing basis beyond athletics (pen pals, joint projects, etc.). <br />11/11/03 <br />