Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
1 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: April 23, 2020 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. 3 <br /> SUBJECT: Next Steps on the Inclusion of Pre-K Students in School Capacity Calculations <br /> DEPARTMENT: Planning and Inspections <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> A. Pre-K Summary CHCCS Craig Benedict, Director, 919-245-2575 <br /> B. Pre-K Summary OCS Ashley Moncado, Planner II, 919-245-2589 <br /> C. Draft Potential SAPFO Amendment <br /> D. SAPFO MOU and Ordinance <br /> PURPOSE: To discuss the treatment of Pre-K students in light of the existing Schools <br /> Adequate Public Facilities Memorandum of Understanding and Ordinance. Options for next <br /> steps may include: <br /> 1. Directing staff to prepare a formal amendment to the Schools Adequate Public <br /> Facilities Memorandum of Understanding including direction on whether to <br /> proceed with capacity determinations (Certification of Adequate Public Facilities or <br /> CAPS) related to residential development; <br /> 2. Directing staff to create an informal capacity tracking tool unrelated to the Schools <br /> Adequate Public Facilities MOU and Ordinance; <br /> 3. Deferring action on this item to a later date. <br /> BACKGROUND: During the February 25 joint meeting between the Board of Orange County <br /> Commissioners and the Boards of Education from Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools and <br /> Orange County Schools, the group discussed amending the Memorandum of Understanding <br /> between the County and the School Districts to explicitly include Pre-K students in school <br /> capacity calculations under the Schools Adequate Public Facilities (SAPFO) Memorandum of <br /> Understanding. Because the Pre-K students are not counted in the current formula, that <br /> classroom space is counted as available capacity for other students and does not represent the <br /> total number of students using school space. An example of the proposed amendment is <br /> provided as Attachment C. <br /> Including Pre-K students in the school capacity calculation would impact two parts of the <br /> SAPFO MOU (Attachment D). First, the SAPFO MOU requires each district to review proposed <br /> residential developments and determine if sufficient school capacity exists to accommodate the <br /> students generated by that development. If sufficient capacity does not exist, the Board of <br /> Education informs the planning jurisdiction in which the development is proposed. In turn, that <br /> planning jurisdiction must provide a development proposal that fits within existing school <br /> capacity or deny the development. Including Pre-K students in the SAPFO capacity calculation <br /> would hasten determinations of insufficient school capacity. <br /> SAPFO is also used guide to initiate the construction of new school facilities. If Pre-K students <br /> were included in the school capacity calculation, the projected need for new school facilities <br />