Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
2 <br /> school capacity, a replacement of Orange Middle School, and a rebuild or significant <br /> renovation of an additional elementary school that improves educational adequacy. <br /> c. Specific high priority needs will be formally determined on an annual basis and be <br /> consistent with the Woolpert high priority definitions: <br /> i. Level 1 —Critical — Failure of components impact the facility's ability to remain <br /> open <br /> ii. Level 2 — Essential — Failure of components impact the health of major <br /> systems (i.e. leaking roofs) <br /> iii. Level 3 — Necessary — Failure of components could impact the facility's <br /> efficiency and usefulness <br /> 2. Funding Amounts <br /> a. If the bond referendum is approved, bond funding will be distributed to the Districts <br /> based on Woolpert's project recommendations. $174.7 million will be allocated to <br /> Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools and $125.3 million will be allocated to Orange <br /> County Schools. <br /> b. New pay-go funding will also be distributed based on the Woolpert <br /> recommendations with the goal of providing project management to both districts <br /> and design funds for new construction starting in FY 2025-26. <br /> c. High priority needs will be funded using any remaining bond and pay-go funds, <br /> annual maintenance funds, lottery proceeds, and existing capital balances. <br /> d. Combined, the Board's goal is to provide approximately $263 million or 59.86% of <br /> total funding to Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools and approximately $176 million or <br /> 40.14% of total funding to Orange County Schools for the ten-year period of FY <br /> 2025-26 through FY 2034-35. <br /> e. Article 46 funds will continue to be distributed to the Districts based on the average <br /> daily membership excluding charter students, and recurring capital will be <br /> distributed to the Districts based on average daily membership including charter <br /> students. <br /> 3. Project Budgeting <br /> The County will specifically enumerate major projects and high priority needs in separate <br /> project budgets by facility. Staff will draft an updated School Funding Policy that details <br /> the project budgeting process and present that revised policy to the Board of <br /> Commissioners in the Fall of 2024. <br /> FINANCIAL IMPACT: The financial impact of the bond has already been estimated at an 8.88 <br /> cent tax increase in FY 2025-26. This estimate will be refined as projects are sequenced over the <br /> ten-year plan and could be phased in over several years. <br />