By Susan Dickson, Staff Writer
The Orange County Board of Commissioners indicated on Tuesday they likely would not fully fund the requests of either the Chapel Hill-Carrboro and Orange County boards of education, citing an extremely tight budget and increased requests from both nonprofit organizations and county departments.
The commissioners met with both school boards for a joint budget work session in which the school boards presented their budget requests.
County officials are anticipating major budget shortfalls this year, as commissioners have requested a budget that includes no property-tax increase and sales-tax revenue is down. Recent budget projections show a potential $13.4 million deficit.
Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools requested $60.2 million, an increase of a little over $1 million from the previous year’s budget, while Orange County Schools requested $22.8 million, about $600,000 more than last year. The Chapel Hill-Carrboro request represents a $62 per-pupil increase over last year, while the Orange County request would maintain last year’s per-pupil allocation.
Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Superintendent Neil Pedersen outlined potential budget scenarios for the commissioners, asking them to consider the reductions the schools will likely face in state funding when looking at reducing county funding for the schools.
“I think that education … is basically the economic engine in this county, whether it is the university or the public schools,†he said. “Your financing of public schools truly is an investment, not only in the children but also in the economy of Orange County.â€
Board chair Valerie Foushee said the board would do the best they could, but she wasn’t optimistic.
“To hear what you’re facing, knowing what we’re facing, makes this a very gloomy day,†Foushee told the school boards. “Last year and the year before last, we talked about doing more with less … and we know we can no longer expect you to do more with less.â€
Foushee said she knew that with reduced funding levels, the schools would have to do less than in previous years, which was hard to consider because education is so important.
However, she said, the commissioners have to consider all of the residents of the county and not just the school children.
“This is the government of last resort. This is the place that we come for help,†she said. “There has to be a way where we can make Orange County an affordable place to live for people who want to live in Orange County…. The answer cannot be, ‘If you cannot afford to pay taxes in Orange County, go live somewhere else.’
“Many people who have lived here all of their lives now don’t know whether or not they can stay here,†she added.
School board members said they have been making cuts for the past couple of years and that further cuts could be devastating.
“We’re at the point where the classroom is going to be affected,†Orange County school board vice chair Debbie Piscitelli said.
Several commissioners urged school board members to dip into their capital funds, which are allocated for facilities, for operations costs.
“If the per pupil [allocation] and the students are the most important thing, then the capital is not,†Commissioner Barry Jacobs said. “Take the capital. The kids are here now. Yes, the facilities will suffer.â€
However, school board members said capital funds are vital to the upkeep of buildings, some of which are starting to show their age.
“The building needs go beyond just upgrading them,†Chapel Hill-Carrboro school board member Michelle Brownstein said. “We’re actually at the point of health and safety. We cannot address our health and safety needs.â€
County Manager Frank Clifton said he hopes to have a balanced budget prepared within the next couple of weeks. The commissioners will consider Clifton’s proposed budget at a series of meetings and work sessions in May and June, with a finalized budget approved by June 15.
So stop ADDING STUDENTS. When it costs over $13,000 for every new student, and chances are that the family participation does not even equal $3000, it means that district families are making up the difference.
We can’t have an open door policy for every family that wants to send their children to school in the Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools. Heck, we don’t even make sure they live here and pay ANY PART of the cost.
This isn’t rocket science.