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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 04-10-2007-4eORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: April 10, 2007 Action Agenda Item No. ~ - E. SUBJECT: Schools Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (SAPFO) -Review of Annual Technical Advisory Committee Report DEPARTMENT: Manager/Budget/Planning/ PUBLIC HEARING: (YIN) No Attorney ATTACFIMENT(S): Under Separate Cover INFORMATION CONTACT: Draft 2007 SAPFOTAC Annual Report Craig Benedict, 245-2592 Donna Coffey, 245-2151 Geoff Gledhill, 732-2196 Perdita Holtz, 245-2611 PURPOSE: To receive for review the 2007 Annual Report of the SAPFO Technical Advisory Committee (SAPFOTAC) and refer it to the SAPFO partners for comments before certification in mid-June. BACKGROUND: 1. Annual Report; Each year the SAPFO is updated to reflect actual changing conditions of student membership and school capacity. This information is analyzed and used to project future school construction needs based on adopted levels of services standards. There are two releases of the report. The first part is certified in the fall and then this full report in spring of each year is to keep the SAPFO system calibrated. At the December 12, 2006 Board of County Commissioners meeting, the Board approved the November 15, 2006 actual membership and previously adopted capacity numbers (i.e. first part) for both Orange County Schools and Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools. A draft of the full annual SAPFOTAC Report is complete and has been reviewed by the SAPFOTAC members. 2. SAPFOTAC: The SAPFOTAC, comprised of representatives of both school systems and the Planning Directors of the County and Towns, is tasked to produce an annual report for the governing boards of each SAPFO partner outlining changes in actual membership, capacity, student projections, and their collective impacts on the Capital Investment Program (CIP) and the future issuance of Certificates of Adequate Public Schools (CAPS). Orange County's Planning Staff compiles the report, holds a meeting discussing the various aspects, and then prepares a draft report, which is reviewed by the SAPFO Technical Advisory Committee. 3. Membership Data: CHCCS total increase from the previous year -- 127 students 101 Elementary School 20 Middle School 6 High School OCS total increase from the previous year - 116 students, 66 Elementary School -13 Middle School 63 High School 4. Capacity Data: One change occurred in the Orange County School System with the opening of Gravelly Hill Middle School with the capacity of 700. 5. Capacity Issues SAPFO vs. DPI 5a.The SAPFO is a `freestanding' ordinance, independent of State Department of Public Instruction (DPI) projections and rules regarding class size. The SAPFO, for instance, does not count temporary modular classrooms as fulfilling the capacity level of service outlined in the SAPFO interlocal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The MOU requires `bricks and mortar' instead of temporary facilities and also requires its own set of future student projections to identify long-term capital school construction needs. The School Collaboration Work Group 5b. The School Collaboration Work Group met in November 2005 to discuss Elementary level K-3 class size reductions related to legislation from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. They recommended that reductions in capacity be implemented equally in both school districts the year after the next elementary school opens. The next elementary school, CHCCS Elementary School #10, is currently projected to be opened in 2008-09. Implementation of the Reduced Class Size Ratio 5c. Implementation of the reduced class size ratio in the year after the new elementary school reduces capacity by 262 seats in CHCCS and 283 seats in OCS. This reduction in capacity in the entire CHCCS elementary system indirectly reduces the capacity increase in the system of the new school from 585 to 323. This results in the projected necessity of CHCCS Elementary School #11 in 2010-11. OCS has level adequate capacity and the 283 `loss in seats' can be more easily `absorbed' by the overall system. Implications of a Delay 5d. Implications of a Delay in opening Elementary School #10 could result in an overcapacity situation at the Elementary level in CHCCS. If Elementary School #10 does not open until 2009-10, the result could be exceedance above 105% adopted level of service at this level during the 2008-09 school year. In accordance with the MOU and implementing regulations, CAPS (Certificate of Adequate Public Schools) would not be issued during a period of overcapacity. This means that development approvals for new residential structures could not be made for projects expected to generate students during periods of overcapacity. In essence, a deferral of development until the school is programmed. 6. Student Projection Analysis Student membership projections are shown to increase at all levels in both schools as shown on page 51 of the report. 7. Orange County Schools CIP Needs Analysis CHCCS Projected need for: New Elementary #10 in 2008-2009 New Elementary #11 in 2010-2011 New Middle School #5 in 2013-2014 Expanded High School 2016-2017 OCS Projected needs: None for Elementary, Middle or High School in the next 10 years However, the SAPFOTAC report notes that development approval activity within the portion of the City of Mebane that lies within Orange County has been significant in recent years. Because the City of Mebane is not a party to the SAPFO, CAPS are not required to be issued by the local government prior to development approvals. At this time, there are approximately 1,450 approved but undeveloped residential subdivision lots within the portion of Mebane that lies within Orange County. Development of these lots is projected to generate approximately 365 additional students (over the three school levels) at current student generation rates. Once students actually enter the school system, faster enrollment increases will change projections and probably identify CIP needs within 10 years. 8. Student Generation Rates The report also notes that Orange County anticipates contracting with Tischler & Associates in mid-2007 to study and, if necessary, update student generation rates. 9. Access to Full Report The draft SAPFOTAC report has been posted on the Orange County Planning Department's web site. A letter and the Executive Summary of the report will be sent to all SAPFO partners after this BOCC meeting advising them of the availability of the draft report and inviting comment. It is anticipated that the draft SAPFOTAC report will be brought back to the BOCC for certification at the June 12, 2007 regular meeting. FINANCIAL IMPACT: Current 10-year student growth projections show future needs for additional schools in the CHCCS District. Funding for CHCCS Elementary Schaol #10 has been identified in the CIP for an opening date of 2008-09. Partially because of the reduction in capacity in 2008-09 related to State reduced class size legislation, CHCCS Elementary School #11 is projected to be needed in 2010-11. CHCCS Middle School #5 is projected to be needed in 2012-13 and expansion of Carrboro High School is expected to be necessary in 2016-17. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board a. Review the 2007 SAPFOTAC Annual Report; and b. Forward to the SAPFO partners for review and comment before June certification.