Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
Chapel Hill-Carrboro Ci#y Schools <br />Lincoln Center, Merritt Mill Road <br />Cha el Hill N rth C I' 2 <br />'E~ ~ ~ ~ ~s _3___ ~~1; <br />;~ . <br />~~'~ I ft 2n~0 <br />p o aro rna 751 fi-2881 <br />i . _.~., ~- ~~, <br />The Board of Education Telephone: 919/967-8211 Ext. 22B ~^ <br />FAX: (919) 933.4560 <br />Neil G. Pedersen Elizabeth Mason Carter, Chair <br />Superintendent Board of Education <br />Apri17, 2000 <br />Mr. Moses Carey, Chair <br />Orange County Board of County Commissioners <br />P.O. Box 81$1 <br />Hillsborough, North Carolina 27278 <br />Dear Moses: <br />At its regularly scheduled meeting last evening, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City <br />Boazd of Education asked that the following feedback be shared with the Board of County <br />Commissioners regarding the School Funding Options Task Force Report. I have again <br />attached a copy of the February 27, 20U0 memo concerning school funding formulas. <br />I believe that consensus was reached by the school board task force members from <br />both districts on the following matters and that these points of consensus have not been <br />adequately recognized publicly: <br />1. It is not possible to answer the question as to how much of the county budget should be <br />earmazked for education. Factors that impact this issue such as the tax base, anticipated <br />revenues, and the economic objectives for the county as well as an array of needs <br />throughout the county are not known to school board members. <br />2. It would be more reasonable to separate capital funds from operating funds when <br />determining funding allocations because the capital fund decisions are known and <br />predictable. This would lead to a funding approach as proposed by our district in <br />Mode16. <br />3. School Sward task force members strongly supported aneeds-based approach to <br />educational funding, as captured in our proposed Mode17. <br />4. The school board members of the task force voiced appreciation for the Board of <br />County Commissioners' consistent struggle and efforts to meet the needs of education <br />in Orange County and acknowledged that the Board of County Commissioners' sound <br />reasotung and goad judgment have served education well in the past and will continue <br />to do so in the future. <br />The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Board of Education encourages a continuing open <br />dialogue with the Board of County Commissioners regarding its budget issues as well as <br />other issues of common interest between the Board of Education and the County <br />Commissioners. It is believed that discussions need to occur to determine an acceptable <br />definition of "a mandate" and the approaches each board pursues to meet its mandates. In <br />addition, discussions are needed regazding the struggles the Board of Education faces in <br />meeting the demands of continual growth within its school system. <br />