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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 03-05-2003 - 9aORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: March 5, 2003 Action Agenda Item No. ~` - q SUBJECT: Establishment of Board Goal to Examine Possible School Merger DEPARTMENT: County Commissioners PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENT(S): Proposed Goal Statement 1 /25/03 Merger Proposal from INFORMATION CONTACT: Moses Carey, 245-2125 Commissioner Carey TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 968-4501 Durham 688-7331 Mebane 336-227-2031 PURPOSE: To consider whether to establish a formal Board of Commissioner goal that would call for an examination of the implications of merging the Orange County Schools and the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools into one school system. BACKGROUND: At the January 25, 2003 annual planning retreat of the Orange County Board of Commissioners, the BOCC discussed a proposal by Commissioner Carey that would lead to merger between Orange County's two school systems. The County Attorney briefly outlined the alternative processes laid out in the North Carolina General Statutes for initiating and completing a merger of school systems.. Individual commissioners expressed differing degrees of interest in pursuing school. merger, but there was consensus that the Board should obtain a detailed analysis of the pros, cons, and other implications of a potential .merger before considering a formal decision on whether or not to merge the school systems. Staff have developed a list of questions and topics that could be specifically examined in the coming months to assist the BOCC in making a decision whether or not to pursue merger. Extensive analysis and input will be required of County and School staffs, working in conjunction with elected officials, to assist the Board in making a determination on this topic. The Board may wish to add to, delete from, or otherwise modify this list and the proposed goal statement that contains it before charging the Manager and staff with performing the necessary analysis. The Manager recommends that the Board plan to receive a report on this matter in August 2003, and to proceed with preparing operating and capital budgets for FY 2003-04 under the existing two-school system arrangement. FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact associated with establishing the list of questions and topics to be analyzed with regard to school merger. However, a subsequent decision on whether or not to merge the two school systems is likely to have substantial financial impacts given that public education comprises approximately fifty percent of the County's $120 million annual operating budget. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board: 1) discuss the elements of analysis needed for the Board to make an informed decision on whether or not the Orange County Schools and Chapel Hill-Carrboro Schools should be merged; and 2) adopt the accompanying goal statement and timeline, or a modified version thereof, to guide staff in their work on this topic during the next six months. 3 CY 2003 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS PROPOSED GOAL Prepared: 0211310 3 SCHOOL MERGER IMPLICATIONS OBJECTIVE 1: To examine the pros, cons, and other implications of a potential merger of the Orange County Schools and the Chapel Hill- Carrboro City Schools TASK A:: County staff, in collaboration with school staffs, conducts an analysis of potential school merger implications centered around five headings: Finance, Governance and Implementation, Public Information/Education and Public Input, Educational/Student Impacts, Other Impacts and Implications. Analysis will include, but not necessarily be limited to, an examination of the pros and cons for each of the following topics: Finance 1. A detailed analysis of the tax differential and impacts on all Orange County citizens created by a possible merger 2. A proposed method for equalizing funding at the highest level of the two districts, including the tax increase required for a possible merger 3. A review of the financial issues/impacts (both operating and capital) of a possible merger on the County, school districts, and other entities 4. An analysis of what changes might be needed, and how much it would cost, to equalize facilities for both districts 5. Review opportunities to equalize funding for both districts that do not include a possible merger Governance and Implementation 1. A potential implementation timetable that would be associated with a possible merger 2. A step by step process (including legal) to follow for a possible merger 3. A review of potential roles for the two school boards in the process to be followed for a possible merger 4. A detailed analysis of the governance structure/who's in charge scenarios of a possible merger 5. Review possible methods for electing a school board with a possible merger 6. A review of how the superintendent might be selected and what might happen to employees in both districts in a possible merger 7. Timing of engagement of the State Board of Education Public Information/Education and Public Input 1. An investigation of the both the truths and the fallacies of a possible merger 2. A detailed explanation of what a possible merger would do and what it would not do 3. Proposals to educate the public on the issues of a possible merger 4. Develop and detail specific proposals on how public opinion will be included during the decision-making process related to a possible merger, including potential public hearings 5. Describe how a referendum on merger could be included in the decision-making process. 6. Review information and conclusions from the 1986 School Merger Study 7. Develop and detail specific ideas on potential public education efforts related to a possible merger CY 2003 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS PROPOSED GOAL Prepared: 02,~ 13 %0 Educational/Student Impacts 1. The educational impacts that possible merger would have on both districts 2. An analysis of the impacts that a possible merger would have on current class size and the current curriculum offered in both districts 3. A detailed analysis of the effects of a possible merger on students in both districts, including potential redistricting and the resulting transportation patterns for students in the two districts Other Impacts and Implications 1. Benefits and any negative impacts to each district that possible merger would provide 2. A detailed assessment of intended and unintended consequences of a possible merger 3. A detailed analysis of the impacts of a possible merger on land use, including the effects on the rural buffer and the effects on the growth and development patterns of the entire county 4. A detailed description of the benefits and costs for children and the entire community associated with a possible merger TASK A TIMEFRAME: February 2003 -August 2003 TASK B: Prepare and present staff report on merger implications at a work session or regular meeting of the BOCC TASK B TIMEFRAME: August 2003 OBJECTIVE 2: To determine, in light of the prepared analysis of the implications, whether or not to pursue merger of the .Orange County Schools and the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools TASK A: Subsequent to receipt of merger implications report, determine whether merger should be pursued and if so, under what statutorily established mechanism TASK A TIMEFRAME: September 2003 -October 2003 _~~ ~-- ~/~~/U; • .~ MERGER OF THE CHAPEL HILL-CAI2RBOR0 AND THE ORANGE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICTS • Ado®t a Goal of comaletine the decision to consolidate the two school svstems no later than December 30.2003 The Merger decision may be accomplished in one of two ways: ~ (other means may also be available) 1) By decision of both school boazds and the Board of County Commissioners with all elected boazds involved in plan development and implementation upon approval by the State Board of Education. . 2) By decision of the Boazd of County Commissioners who will be responsible for plan development'and implementation upon approval by the State Boazd of Education. Note: A public referendum may be used in either process but is not required. Appropriate public hearings will be held regardless of the process chosen. Recommendation for Process: Invite both schools systems to approve a merger decision and plan by July 1, 2003 with subsequent involvement in planning and implementation. If either or both decline to approve of consolidation and participate in the planning for implementation, the Boazd of County Commissioners will proceed with the decision and develop• a consolidation plan • for approval by the State, which may include a public referendum no later than November, 2003. While there are many reasons for not pursuing this consolidation at this. time, I will focus on the reasons why it is timely. This recommendation is not based on the promise of reduced cost of operating the schools in the short run, but may provide for some savings in the capital and operations azeas in the future. The financial impact on county school` district residents will be the greatest deterrent and cause the greatest hazdship, but may be mitigated with a phasing plan for equalizing the per pupil county allocation at the city schools level The questions one mast ask at this time are "would. we plan for two separate school districts in Orange County today if we had the choice of starting again? " "Would the gap in funding that currently exist grow wider if we continued our current policies? " "Is the current funding disparity hindering or contributing to the equal educational opportunity of county school system students? " Reasons why consolidation of systems is timely in 2003: 1. To begin to remove the funding gap that could affect the quality of county school students. ~ . 2. To~provide for more efficient and equitable use of operating resources. 3. Neither system is under state or federal legal compulsion to change. • 4. Could improve the process for school capital planning and possibly save capital funds in the' future. 5. Could reduce the pressure to site a~third high school immediately and give the Town of Chapel Hill more time to decide on the use of the Southern Park site for a school 6. The county school system is seeking a superintendent that could be suspended.. Therefore, only one CEO job will be affected if.consolidation happens in•next two years. 7. Could reduce the land use and price pressures in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro district and thereby m;nim;tee the increase in the cost of housing. 8. Finally and most importantly, merger could improve the opportunity for a quality education for all children in Orange County on an equal basis.