HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 04-02-2002 - 9b 1
ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: April 2, 2002
Action Agenda
Item. No.
SUBJECT: Appointments to the School Facilities/Construction Standards Task Force and
High School Planning Work Group
DEPARTMENT: Board of Commissioners PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No
ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT:
3/14/02 Conceptual Outline for Clerk's Office, ext. 2130, 2125, 2126, 2129
High School Planning
TELEPHONE NUMBERS:
Hillsborough 245-2130
Chapel Hill 968-4501
Durham 688-7331
Mebane 336-227-2031
PURPOSE: To designate County Commissioners to serve as members'of the School
Facilities/Construction Standards Task Force and High School Planning Work Group.
BACKGROUND: During the March 25, 2002 joint work session with the Orange County Board
of Education and Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of Education, County Commissioners discussed
their mutual desire to establish several working groups to examine and develop
recommendations on important school facility matters.
The School Facilities/Construction Standards Task Force would follow up on issues that remain
outstanding from the School Facilities Task Force report issued in April 2001, and on other
matters that the three elected boards may identify pursuant to discussion at the March 25 work
session. The High School Planning Work Group would address issues from the attached
conceptual outline, and other related matters.
Both school boards were asked to identify two members to serve on these bodies. The BOCC
may wish to designate two Commissioners to serve on each body so that both can begin
meeting in the near future. County and Schools staff will provide administrative, logistic, and
analytical support to both bodies.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact associated with making these
appointments.
RECOMMENDATION(S): As the Board decides.
DRAFT 2
CONCEPTUAL OUTLINE FOR HIGH SCHOOL PLANNING
March 14, 2002
• Given the current constrained financial landscape, before BOCC responds
regarding new high school proposal, it would be prudent to examine the
matter in the historical context of previous high school planning efforts
• East Chapel Hill High — collaborative process over several months of work
groups created to develop siting and programming recommendations
• Cedar Ridge
• OCS commitment to fund roughly half of the new high school
construction cost,out of OCS CIP pay-as-you-go (PAYG) revenues
• Resulted in serious constraints for OCS in ability to pursue other PAYG
projects
• Suggestion to develop a short term work group, consisting of representatives
of all 3 governing boards and staff, to examine both the short-term and long-
term implications of planning for additional high school space
• Work group would use resources of an external consultant with experience in
counties with multiple school systems to help guide discussion and keep
process moving
• Scope of the work group's examination regarding high school space could
include, but not necessarily be limited to:
• Need for additional space
• Timing of that need
• Options for paying for new space
• Location
• Relation to land use plans
• Relation to transportation plans
• Water and sewer service provision implications
• Size
• Long-term educational benefits of smaller vs. larger high schools
• Remaining capacity at existing high schools
• "Level of service" standards for measuring overcrowding situations
• Appropriate revisions to adopted school construction standards