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Home My WebLink AboutAgenda - 09-24-2001 - 3 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: September 24, 2001 Action Agenda Item No. 3 SUBJECT: Issues Identified/Presented by Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools DEPARTMENT: County Manager/CHCCS PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: As noted in "Background" Neil Pedersen, 967-8211 TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 968-4501 Durham 688-7331 Mebane 336-227-2031 PURPOSE: To discuss issues of concern to the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of Education. BACKGROUND: The Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of Education identified the topics listed below as issues they wished to discuss with the Board of Commissioners at this September 24 joint work session. Other topics identified in the Superintendent's memorandum are addressed elsewhere on this work session agenda. Attachment 3— 9110101 Memo from CHCCS Superintendent a. Capital Projects • Third High School in CHCCS • Planning Funds for Elementary#10 • Community Gym Attachment 3a - 914101 Letter from CHCCS Chair b. Potential Merger of the Two School Districts No Attachments c. Communications The Orange County Board of Education identified the topics listed below as issues they wished to discuss with the Board of Commissioners at this September 24 joint work session. Other topics identified in the Superintendent's memorandum are addressed elsewhere on this work session agenda. No Attachments 2 d. Anticipated Issues That Will Impact 2002-03 School Budgets No Attachments FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact tied directly to the discussion at this meeting. However, decisions that may be made by one or more of the elected boards at subsequent meetings are likely to have significant implications for future capital and operating budgets. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the boards discuss the issues noted and provide direction to staff, as appropriate. CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO CITY SCHOOLS Lincoln Center, Merritt Mill Road Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27516 Telephone: (919) 967-8211 Neil G. Pedersen Nettie Collins-Hart,Assistant Superintendent Superintendent for Instructional Services Raymond J. Reitz Steve Scroggs,Assistant Superintendent Chief Technology Officer for Support Services TO: John Link Orange County Manager FROM: Neil G. Pedersen Superintendent RE: Requested Agenda Items for September 24th Joint Meeting DATE: September 10, 2001 The Chapel Hill- Carrboro City Schools Board of Education discussed at its September 6th meeting possible topics to include on the agenda for the September 24d, joint meeting with the County Commissioners and both Boards of Education. Below is a lengthy list,but the Board would very much like to see them discussed that evening. 1. Capital Projects A. Issues related to a third high school in CHCCS: The need for interim capacity until a new high school is built; the need for financing of the complete facility; questions about acceptable locations;what other issues do Commissioners want to raise regarding a third high school? B. What is the status of the CHCCS Board of Education's request for planning funds for Elementary No. 10? Is there anything else that you want the Board of Education to do? C. What is the status of the latest school construction standards that were to include energy standards,revised square footage costs, and design features? Should not the square foot construction costs be adjusted to reflect inflation since the standards were adopted more than five years ago (May 16, 1996)? D. Discussion of the capital project review policy. Review how it has been followed with respect to Elementary No. 9. Clarification is requested about the role of the County Commissioner contact person in this process. E. Update by CHCCS-on issues related to the proposed community gym at Elementary No. 9. Discussion about next steps that will keep parties informed but not unduly delay the project. F. Update by the County Commissioners on the status of SAPFO. G. Review of unfunded capital projects that have been requested by CHCCS and a discussion about the likelihood of any of these projects being funded by private placement or other revenue raising strategies in light of other county needs. 2. Potential merger of the two school districts: Could the Commissioners clarify where they stand on the desirability of merger and how they intend for the issue to be studied and commented upon? What role do they expect the school districts to play in this process? 3. Communications: Recently, it appears that communications between the County Commissioners and our Board of Education have not been as clear or consistent as they need to be. How can communications be improved? 4. Anticipated issues that will impact school budgets in 2002-03. 5. Update on ten-day membership figures from our school system and how they relate to projections(figures already have been furnished to County Manager). 9- 4-01 ; 4:51P1V1;Cha0ei Hill Carr John Link ;9979 9334560 7i 2/ 3 CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO CITY SCHOOLS Lincoln Center, Merritt Mill Road Chapel Hill, North Carolina./.2751 f Telephone: (919) 967-811 FAX: 919-933-4560 Neil Q. Pedersen Nettle Collins-Hart, Assistant Superintendent Superintendent for Instructional Services Raymond J. Reitz - Steve Scroggs, Assistant Superintendent Chief Technology officer for Support Services September 4,2001 Stephen H.Halkiotis, Chair Orange County Board.of Commissioners P. O.Box 8 f 81 200 South Cameron Street Hillsborough,NC 27278 Dear Commissioner Halkiotis: I would like to respond briefly to your letter of August 28,2001 regarding the construction of a community gym for Elementary School No. 9. First,let me assure you that the Board of Education in no way is trying to circumvent the authority of the County Commissioners. Partnerships can be tricky and it's difficult to keep everyone in the loop,especially during the summer when some elected boards don't meet, I have received a copy of the letter that Mayor Waldorf sent to you today and concur with the facts presented in her letter. Both the Chapel Hill Town Council and the Chapel Hill— Carrboro City Schools Board of Education have operated in good faith in an effort to make the best use of taxpayers' dollars by participating in this collaborative effort: As much as we wanted to be good partners with the Town,we indicated that we did not have sufficient funds to pay for a full-size gymnasium. This led to discussions of how the Town of Chapel Hill could contribute the additional cost,estimated to be$750,000. As Mayor Waldorf has explained,$250,000 would be credited based on requirements that the Town would waive and another$250,000 would be paid directly to the schools. The School Board asked that the-remaining$250,000 be made in a direct payment or as in-kind services. Representatives of the Town focused on the opportunity to provide our swim teams with services that have been sadly lacking in the past,but would become available if the aquatic center is constructed. Our draft agreement specifies that if for any reason the center is not constructed, the Town would reimburse us directly for the balance. This proposal has been developed during-the month of August,following a Board discussion on July 19`x. We would be happy to share a copy of this draft later this week in that it is still in the revision process. Although the Board of Education has not approved this agreement or even discussed from where the$250,000 balance would come,two possibilities would be our fund balance and our CIP. Both would require the approval of the County Commissioners. 9- 4-01 ; 4:51PM;Cha08I Hill Carr John Link ;9919 9334560 # 3/ 3 At this time, there are no plans to bring forward that depict a full-size gymnasium at Elementary School No. 9. A meeting has been scheduled to review plans on September 11,2001 and you, as the"contact Commissioner,"have been invited to that meeting. When plans are completed, we will share them with our Board of Education and then with the County Commissioners and members of the Chapel all'Town Council. As stated earlier, we are respectful of and compliant with the new Policy on Planning and Funding School Capital Projects. This project has been presented twice to the Orange County Board of Commissioners prior to your release of funds for the first two stages of the project. We will be happy to present the revised plans to you as soon as they are completed. We have attempted to keep you informed during discussions concerning the community gym. You and Manager Link attended a half-day meeting on May 17'to review possible footprints for the school,including plans that provided for a full-size gymnasium. At no time during that meeting did we hear any objections to the idea of a community gym. The issue that has been debated over the past few montbs has been who would pay for the gym As we have described above,we have tried to accommodate the Town's proposal without diverting school board funds. I also would add that during the planning process,we . believe that we have invited you to all of the formal planning meetings. We will continue to do this in the future. Hopefully,this project can be included on the agenda for our joint meeting on September 24 . If you have further comments or questions concerning this project,please feel free to communicate them directly to me. Sincerel , N i ow, Chair CHCCS Board of Education Cc: School Board Members Chapel Hill Town Council John Link Cal Horton