6.7.23 PB Agenda Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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approved, are we to believe that the new state law forcing towns to provide water and sewer to charter schools won’t be 386 invoked by the developer? Hillsborough government officials elected as a legislative body in establishing town policy in 387 law, denied the original annexation. That should have been the end of it but here we are. I ask you to listen and honor 388 the decisions of those who we voted for to decide what is best for our town. Please deny this rezoning application. 389 390 Susan Swafford: I’m a board member for West Triangle High School, as well as a local parent. I have lived here since 391 1994. I have concerns with this planning process. In the last meeting, Mr. Stokes specifically discussed state statutes 392 that prevent considering traffic, utilities and school type in deciding on a zoning application. This makes allowing the 393 mayor to read her letter aloud concerning water and sewage, problematic. The content of the letter regarding utilities, is 394 also questionable. Two things to consider: our school is asking for 6,000 gallons of water daily or .15% of current city 395 water usage. WTHS will pay to hook up the utilities costing and estimated one million dollars during construction, and 396 pay around $30,000 annually for water service. How is it that the city can not handle that minute amount of water? The 397 mayor is trying to attach a $42 million price tag to hooking up sewer for the school? What I found most concerning was 398 the mayor’s use of the word “equity.” I believe the mayor is presenting a red herring fallacy. She wants us to pay 399 attention to a sewer problem, however where is the data supporting her claim? I believe the mayor and others actually 400 oppose charter schools. Tonight I present a real matter of equity driven by actual data. These numbers come from the 401 state board of education recording system used for all public schools across the state. For black students in Orange 402 County last year, there is a 43%/33%/40% achievement gap in Math, English and Reading, respectively. Meaning that 403 the average test scores for black students is 43/33/40% below the average score for white students. Just 5% of black 404 students in the county attempted an AP class. For Hispanic students, there is a 34/37/23% achievement gap across 405 Math, English and Reading. In Orange County, in high poverty schools, 20% of teachers are new to teaching. This 406 compares to only 3% of new teachers in low poverty schools. Our school leader, Joey Webb, has a track record of 407 closing large achievement gaps. Our board chair, Alex Quigley, works tirelessly, with success to close the achievement 408 gap each year in the Triangle. They are both committed to this work. It is not lip service about equity as a political guise, 409 it is grit and determination, with innovative and nimble thinking. Please don’t fall for the red herring trick. The UDO 410 suggests you approve this rezoning. I urge you to see what the county will be getting from it; much needed recreational 411 capacity for our kids and families, and a new school that will soften enrollment and budget challenges and will actually 412 stand for equity by bringing a fresh model to closing the achievement gap. 413 414 Gary Rodgers: I am a board member at West Triangle High School and a board member at Research Triangle High 415 School. That is the replicating public charter school that West Triangle is being based on. I’ve been part of the non-profit 416 Research Triangle school for a number of years so I know first hand what it means to the students in the region. The one 417 thing that Research Triangle has that does not reflect their innovation skills is the facilities. Ten years ago we opened up 418 in an old abandoned shopping center that we had to retrofit to put classrooms in. Today we are in a center that has been 419 converted into a school. There are things it doesn’t have, important things, it doesn’t have a gym, doesn’t have sports 420 fields, it has awkward eating spaces, doesn’t have an auditorium for big meetings. We haven’t heard enough tonight 421 about why this land is important to West Triangle High School and their families. We have the opportunity to build a real 422 school from the ground up to impact Orange County, Hillsborough, with a gym, fields, large cafeteria, auditorium, all the 423 common amenities that most public traditional schools have. Denying it puts the school in a predicament of making 424 significant facility sacrifices to our students who are out there…any activities we are offering. I want you to think about 425 that, we have the opportunity to bring four baseball fields or softball fields, tennis courts, two soccer fields, parks, ponds, 426 and a school with a gym, a true community center. It needs to be noted that the Orange County taxpayers will not be 427 paying for any building through any bonds or local funds. The school will pay for the building through a private loan like a 428 mortgage like we have done at Research Triangle High School very successfully. When you consider the state of the 429 facilities here in the district and the need to renovate all of them, this is an opportunity to save the district a huge amount 430 of money with a new facility and not costing them a penny. So our students who attend there don’t need to sacrifice the 431 opportunity to play sports or eat in traditional cafeterias. Thank you for considering a very important point that has been 432 overlooked tonight and please know that you will hear from our other board members that we will make sure that we are 433 great stewards of this space and that we make sure that this is a successful school for the community. Please 434 recommend approval of this zoning application. 435 436 Earl Tye: I’m here tonight to ask for your recommendation for approval of the zoning request that is before you. I believe 437 everything in this proposed plan is a much needed and community enhancing asset. I want to speak specifically about 438 the ball fields tonight. I had the privilege of serving as a coach and as a member of the HYAA board for about ten years 439 in the early 2000’s. I learned a lot in that experience and much of what I enjoyed about it then is very much true today. 440 12