HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 02-09-2006-9bORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: February 9, 2006
Action Agend
Item No. ~~
SUBJECT: Discussion Regarding Inclusion of School Merger Option in School Equity
Considerations
DEPARTMENT: Commissioners/Manager
ATTACHMENT(S):
None
PUBLIC HEARING: (YJN) No
INFORMATION CONTACT:
Barry .)acobs, Chair, 919-245-2125
John Link or Rod Visser, 919-245-2300
PURPOSE: To decide whether to include merging the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools and
the Orange County Schools in ongoing discussions of school equity,
BACKGROUND: The BOCC recently expanded the meeting time of a work session to be held
beginning at 4:OOpm on February 16. As discussed at the Board's annual planning retreat on
.lanuary 20, and at the ,)anuary 31 work session, the first topic of discussion for the February 16
work session will be school equity, At this February 9 regular meeting, the Board may wish to
determine whether or not the possibility of merging the County's two school systems is an
aspect of school equity that the Board wishes to discuss in more detail at the Febn~ary 16 work
session,
At the January 20 retreat, the Board reviewed all the priorities that Commissioners had identified
back in November 2005 as work elements they would like to see the County accomplish in
coming months, Included among the suggested school-related priorities were:
• Bring closure to school system funding equity debate
• Discuss school funding and opportunity
• Define and move towards funding equity
• Define school funding equity and then decide the school funding equity issue
• Bring closure to school merger debate
In response to a request for clarification from Commissioner Carey, the Board may decide either
to preserve or to remove this strategy from the mix, preparatory to further deliberations at its
work session on February 16, 2006,
The Board also discussed at the retreat the notion of Commissioner "homework" related to the
equity question. The Board may wish to discuss fiarther what other preparations individual
Commissioners should make for the February 16 work session discussion on school equity.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact associated directly with discussion of this
item. However, decisions that the Board may make subsequently will have significant impacts
on school funding, which comprises roughly half of Orange County's annual operating budget.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board discuss the school
merger/school equity topic and provide appropriate direction to staff.